Boiler Room Design for Blast

[runcc]

I am a structural engineer and have been tasked with the design of a boiler room. I was told by the architect/contractor that the room needed to have blow out panels in the wall for an explosion. I was also told that this was an insurance requirement based on the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. In searching the internet I can find nothing that talks at all about designing a boiler room for any sort of blast pressure and being a structural engineer I am not familiar with the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.

Is anyone aware of any requirements in the ASME BPVC for the design of boiler rooms for explosions/blast? If so, could you point me to the code section that talks about this?

If it helps according to the boiler specs it is an ASME Section I (Power Boiler) with natural gas as the fuel.

 

[psafety]

Weak outside wall. Point the end at the wall. Assure no cafeteria, meeting room is along axis. Its not Code as I'm aware, just good engineering practice.

 

[EdStainless]

This is not in ASME B&PV Code.
There may be building codes that call for this.
And then there are insurance companies.
I have often seen the upper half of an outer wall installed as a curtain wall.
Not only do you get blast relief but you also get access for future work.

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Plymouth Tube

 

[EnergyMix]

I've also seen this done. May not be an entire wall -- just a "blow out panel" on an outside wall to allow pressure relief. Agree that you need to make sure you aren't aiming the blow out area towards where anyone can get hurt. but I'm in the nuclear area and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has requirements about "internally generated missiles" that go far beyond the ASME Code.

 

[Frank1344]

I suspect you are talking about Explosion Venting.

There is NFPA 68 which has complete coverage on the subject.

Also take a look at the following website:

http://www.zookdisk.com/pdf_files/7000 - CV Quick Look.pdf

I hope it helps.

 

[runcc]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm still waiting for more specifics from the insurer, but this info gives me a place to start.