K&C specializes in the design of structural and mechanical systems to resist the effects of blast and impact. Our firm has developed many innovative concepts for achieving blast and impact resistance over a wide range of threats previously thought too large to address with designs having a conventional appearance. Our staff's experience with Government standards, client aesthetic requirements, and conventional structural engineering methods ensures the ready approval and constructability of our projects. More Information

Related Projects: Community Center Blast Protection, Develop FRP Retrofit Technology, Develop New or High-Capacity Anti-Ram Devices, Retrofit Embassy to Improve Blast Resistance, Experimental Munitions Test Facility, Develop Blast Effects Barrier for Large Close-in Bombs, Improve Blast Resistance of Guardhouse

We have an extensive array of software for performing vulnerability assessments, much of it developed at K&C. This software provides a wide range of results-from a general overview of the vulnerability across a whole facility, to highly-detailed responses suitable for casualty estimates within a specific room. Estimates of the extent of damage and casualties are presented in a highly visual manner, which quickly convey to the client the issues and risks. More Information

Related Project: Blast Vulnerability Analysis

Keeping vehicles some distance from a building/facility and controlling their access to it is a highly effective way to protect the structure from vehicle bomb attacks. A host of manufactured devices are available to provide this protection using both strength- and aesthetic-based designs. More Information

Related Projects: Develop New or High-Capacity Anti-Ram Devices, Develop Blast Effects Barrier for Large Close-in Bombs

Blast Effects Analyses (BEAs) offer specific and detailed information to our clients about the responses of their structural and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems to blast loads. These studies often include the use of high-fidelity physics-based analytic models because of the typically difficult nature of characterizing the situations involved. K&C has performed many such studies in the context of developing mitigation concepts and assessing vulnerability, and planning blast tests. We pride ourselves in tackling the most difficult problems, such as developing strategies to protect structures from very large vehicle bombs and contact charges. More Information

Related Projects: Community Center Blast Protection, Retrofit Embassy to Improve Blast Resistance, Experimental Munitions Test Facility, Develop Blast Effects Barrier for Large Close-in Bombs, Example of Physics Based Analytic Modeling: Two-phase Liquefaction calculations

On projects where explosive and impact threats have not been defined, we work with clients to determine appropriate threat scenarios for their facility. Threats considered cover those from ballistic projectiles, forced entry, blast pressure, and debris generated from package or vehicle bombs. Our extensive range of clients allows us to provide threat definitions within a context of what similar clients are doing.
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Related Projects: Community Center Blast Protection, Retrofit Embassy to Improve Blast Resistance

K&C has designed and participated in more blast-effects tests of structural systems and components than any other private contractor in the United States. Our unique, four-decades-plus relationship with the Government, as pertaining to blast/impact effects testing, has provided us with a wealth of experience regarding the behavior of structural and mechanical systems subjected to blast, shock, and impact loads. More Information

Related Projects: Develop FRP Retrofit Technology, Develop New or High-Capacity Anti-Ram Devices, Develop Blast Effects Barrier for Large Close-in Bombs

In shock analysis studies, K&C uses shock spectra methods for the study of equipment responses to blast and impact in order to determine the equipments' vulnerability and to design appropriate shock-isolation devices. In addition, vehicle and aircraft impact analyses have been performed using both simplified engineering tools and advanced physics-based analytical methods. Explicit models of aircraft and vehicles have been generated and used in crashworthiness studies and to determine the effects of their impact on buildings and perimeter control devices. More Information

Related Project: Develop New or High-Capacity Anti-Ram Devices

K&C annually offers a "Blast and Impact Resistant Design" seminar at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles). We also provide on-site seminars and training upon request-either similar to the one at UCLA or especially tailored to meet a client's needs. The course may be provided in two- to five-day versions and includes the distribution of software specifically written by K&C to allow the participants to perform their own vulnerability assessments. More Information

Related Project: UCLA Blast Effects Course

K&C has a long history of working with product developers and manufacturers, aiding them both in bringing their products to market and performing proof-of-concept blast/impact tests. In addition, for many years, K&C has worked under Government-funded research and development contracts that have resulted in many new concepts for providing blast resistance and access control, and the development of design methodologies and tools for assessment/design of blast-resistant structures. More Information

Related Projects: Community Center Blast Protection, Develop FRP Retrofit Technology, Develop New or High-Capacity Anti-Ram Devices, Develop Blast Effects Barrier for Large Close-in Bombs

The K&C staff has traveled extensively through the U.S. and most of the world, performing on-site vulnerability assessments and perimeter security design, aiding local authorities in improving their site security, and monitoring the construction of blast-resistant designs. Many of the designs and products in use by K&C are inherently unique in that the design concepts are new or the materials and products used have not previously been used in blast or impact environments. K&C provides the necessary supervision to ensure the concepts are correctly implemented and the products are installed as intended.

Related Projects: Community Center Blast Protection, Retrofit Embassy to Improve Blast Resistance

Some manufacturing and storage facilities have need for devices and structures that can protect employees, equipment, and the community from the effects of accidental explosions. Aside from explosives themselves, many other materials such as fuels, inks, and chemicals may, under some circumstances, become an explosive threat. For these materials, the need exists to evaluate the t hreat, perform vulnerability assessments, and develop a mitigation strategy. We work closely with the client and the community to address the issues involved.

Related Project: Experimental Munitions Test Facility

K&C plays a key role in efforts by the Government and professional societies to develop new and improved methodologies and tools for performing threat assessments, and to generate blast-resistant designs. K&C has authored several software packages for the design of blast-resistant structures and to evaluate the vulnerability of existing facilities. More Information

Related Project: Develop FRP Retrofit Technology

Our firm has developed numerous blast- and impact-resistant windows and we have worked with several manufacturers to support their development of such windows. We have developed special software to compute the anchorage forces for the frames and procedures for achieving the needed anchorage capacity from the structure (e.g., wall) to which the window is mounted. Additionally, K&C has assessed the fragility of numerous existing windows and developed retrofit schemes to protect occupants from glazing debris. More Information

Related Projects: Community Center Blast Protection, Improve Blast Resistance of Guardhouse

K&C offers conventional structural engineering services, which include complete design packages (drawings, specifications, and shop drawings), construction supervision, and interaction with the contractor and other professionals during the planning, design, and construction phases of a project. K&C has performed these services for numerous projects, primarily related to office buildings, hospitals, and industrial plants. K&C has provided these services throughout the U.S. and is familiar with a variety of design codes and the design techniques for seismic, wind, and snow loads.

Related Projects: Design of Buildings at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Shopping Mall Buildings and Parking Structure, Design for Nestlé's Manufacturing Plant

Blast-resistant designs that mitigate the effects of weapons differ from those that protect against the effects of either improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or terrorist bombs in that additional strengthening is required to resist the forces that are imparted to a structure by a weapon's casing. Casing fragments can both damage a structure directly and transfer large momentum forces to it. K&C's weapons effects models consider both of these damage modes, and for the case of a penetrator, the physics and behaviors associated with the penetration and perforation of the target medium.

Related Project: Experimental Munitions Test Facility

Military facilities must often be designed (i.e., hardened) to resist weapons effects. For this purpose, the Government has developed an extensive set of design tools and procedures, some of which were developed by K&C. We use these tests along with our extensive analytic skills when performing this type of work.
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Related Projects: Experimental Munitions Test Facility, Develop Blast Effects Barrier for Large Close-in Bombs

K&C's blast consultant expertise is recognized by several government agencies, including the GSA, FAA, and DoD. These agencies often contract with K&C to review the blast-resistant designs of other engineers. In addition, K&C has aided clients by providing blast effects expertise pertinent to matters under litigation or in terms of an expert on blast and shock. On occasion (e.g., the 9/11 attack), Government personnel have provided our names to media to provide expert comment. More Information

Related Project: Peer Review of Control Tower Design

Blast- and impact-resistant designs often require the use of high-fidelity physics based (HFPB) models in order to select appropriate design parameters (e.g., the thickness and strength for materials). K&C provides state-of-the-art computational structural dynamics capabilities for our clients; has many years of experience with such HFPB codes as DYNA3D, LS-DYNA, and AUTODYN; and has validated these models against literally hundreds of blast and impact tests. These models are essential for design development, especially for the unusually large threat scenarios that are now being designed against for key facilities throughout the United States. These threats confront the designer with a complexity that would make it otherwise impossible to effectively select design parameters without the use of these models. More Information

Related Project: Example of Physics Based Analytic Modeling: Two-phase Liquefaction calculations