DEVELOPMENT OF EMPIRICAL FORMULA TO PREDICT MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENT OF OFFSHORE BLAST WALLS SUBJECTED TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOSIONS

Blast walls play a vital role in the event of an accidental explosion by providing the structural strength and ductility necessary for mitigating the effect of explosive loadings. Due to spatial constraints in the congested topsides, one of the strict criteria for the design of blast walls for offshore installations is based on the ultimate limit states for the maximum deflections, as proposed by the Fire and Blast Information Group (FABIG).