ARCHITECTURAL MEASURES FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS TO MITIGATE DAMAGE BY TERRORISM

Abstract

Our buildings on certain extent provide security from natural or environmental hazards; structural hazards etc., but generally fail to provide safety security against accidents & crime. There has been considerable concern about the terrorism due to increase in terrorist attacks. Society must be taught to manage with hazards of terrorism as it does with natural disaster. Currently not much is available to an engineer & architect in terms of guidance on how some features of design, planning and construction can have extreme propositions on the safety of the building and its inhabitants in the event of a future attack by a terrorist. Building science society has included widespread building science into designing & constructing buildings against natural hazards. But, same echelon of awareness is not available to manmade hazards (intentional acts/ terrorism). Since WTC Attack, terrorism has turn out to be a foremost domestic concern. Safety & Security should not be out looked as a separate capability that can be bought as a late addition & then put in place. Safety & security must turn into a design objective.from the start. Not much is on hand to an architect in terms of assistance on how a few features of planning, design and construction can have far reaching propositions on the safety of the building and its inhabitants in the incident of a future attack by a terrorist. An attempt has been made in this dissertation to propose some architectural measures, which provide safe & secure environment in a public building against terrorist attack. Terrorist attacks on buildings may not be eradicated entirely, but their effects on buildings and structures can be extenuated to a large extent with precautions and preventative strategies. PURPOSE Terrorism is a major trouble all over the world at the moment. The terrorist attack graph is rapidly growing day by day. Safety & security from terrorist attacks has been quite low on priority list of architects, designers, planners & builders. Very less is talked about safety & security from terrorist attack in the process of architectural designing. Building science society has included widespread building science into designing & constructing buildings iv against natural hazards. But, same echelon of awareness is not available to manmade hazards- (intentional acts/ terrorism). Awareness is needed because this attack makes physical as well as psychological impact on a person's daily life. Making him feel safer and comfortable in the neighborhood where he lives and visit daily is also a part of the architect who designs a building, planner who plan the neighborhood. The purpose of this dissertation is to give guidance to evaluate the performance of the buildings against terrorist threats and to rank suggestions. It is up to the architects or decision makers to make a decision which type of terrorist threats they desire to guard against. OBJECTIVES The objective of the dissertation is to lessen substantial sabotage to non-structural & structural elements of buildings and associated infrastructure, and also to lessen ensuing fatalities during conventional terrorist attacks. Though the procedure is universal in character & applies to the majority building uses, this dissertation is most appropriate for public buildings. The Dissertation discusses the following: • The dissertation analyses the various terrorist hazards and the approaches to reduce the risk from terrorism. • An analysis is produced of possible damage to buildings due to blast. Particulars are also produced on mechanisms of damage due to blast. • Architectural measures to be considered while designing new buildings is the central subject matter of the dissertation along with contemplation required in site planning, architectural design & planning, and structural aspects. • Terror vulnerability assessment of India Habitat Center, New Delhi has been done with respect to formulated architectural measures of mitigation. This building has been taken for assessment because Public buildings have recently become targets for bombs & bomb threats. V METHODOLOGY The aim of this study is to evolve architectural design measures to reduce the risk from terrorism by reviewing the various terrorist hazards &. possible damage to buildings due to blast & its mechanism. Different kind of scenarios showcasing the different encounters with the interface surrounding have been selected to involve each and every kind of impact happened, so that assessment and inferences can be made out. Five cases have been analyzed with respect to parameters like Site Planning, Architectural Configuration (Shape.& Size), Building Envelope, functional planning & Structural Elements. Integrative analysis & assessment of data collected from literature & case studies let to formulate the architectural measures of mitigation. Practical stimulation of the understandings and learning from the five studies was to make a statement for architects that it is possible to prevent hazards from terrorism. A conscious approach towards thinking for a venerable building in a public sector and at an important place, I.H.0 came out to be a valid example. Formulated architectural measures of mitigations have been, used in assessment of India Habitat Centre.......