Bullet Proof Building Design 2

[psychedomination]

Hi,

I have recently been tasked with the design of a firing range facility for the police. Do you know of any codes(preferably Eurocodes)or any useful information/tips that relates to the design of bullet proof walls and building design?

 

[EngineeringEric]

Concrete is bullet proof.

The ranges and indoor facilities i have touched (not designed) all have minimum 8" concrete walls and ceiling.

 

[MotorCity]

I believe there is a masonry TEK note out there that deals with bullet resistant design that may offer some guidance. There should also be some consideration for maintaining adequate cover of the reinforcing over the design life. Imagine 20 years of a wall being chipped away by an automatic firearm (just an extreme example to illustrate the point)

 

[TehMightyEngineer]

With the exception of armor piercing, high velocity rounds; even as little as 2-3 inches of a high strength concrete can stop almost all projectiles.

See this PDF which is in regards to a precast transformer firewall but they simulated shrapnel damage by using bullets:

http://www.oldcastleliterature.com/...s/opi_trufirewall_complete_literature_kit.pdf

Professional Engineer (ME, NH, MA) Structural Engineer (IL)
American Concrete Industries

http://www.americanconcrete.com

 

[bridgebuster]

USDOD design criteria

 

[TehMightyEngineer]

Nice reference bridge, that's pretty darn authoritative though obviously it's the wrong side of the pond for the OP.

Professional Engineer (ME, NH, MA) Structural Engineer (IL)
American Concrete Industries

http://www.americanconcrete.com

 

[psychedomination]

Thank you very much for the responses and documents so far. They will be a great help!

 

[Deadblow]

Will this range be limited to handguns? I have witnessed non-armor piercing rifle rounds go through 3 1/2" of concrete. Just something to think about in your design.

EIT

 

[tolchijb]

We have done this a few times in our office. The biggest concern was always energy dissipation and ricochet prevention. If you just build a wall perpendicular to the firing line the bullet or shrapnel could bounce back. It was always important to use angles to reduce the energy at final impact. We tended to have a concrete ceiling sloping down as you head down range. This would deflect the bullet downward at an acute angle and dissipate energy. Concrete can stop a bullet, but if you are talking about a range it will need to stop many bullets, which is why energy dissipation is so important.

 

[JStephen]

You may want the concrete bullet-proof, but shouldn't be depending on the concrete to stop bullets- should be something else there to keep bullets from hitting the concrete in the first place. At outdoor ranges, that was always dirt (behind the target) and heavy creosoted timbers (above the line of fire, old RR ties, etc.) It might be worthwhile to visit some other indoor ranges and see how things are done. I was thinking a lot of indoor ranges were in basements for that reason. Assume whatever you use as backstop is going to be hazardous waste 20 years from now.

Seems like I've read that proper ventilation is a requirement to avoid lead poisoning.

While you're looking at concrete design, look into noise issues also- if this is a basement, what's going on upstairs?

Wonder if anyone's ever put the firing range in the basement and the library on the first floor...

 

[rb1957]

how about a heavy padding or curtain (Kevlar?) over the wall (to stop chips and bullets rebounding ?

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

 

[TehMightyEngineer]

Seems like I've read that proper ventilation is a requirement to avoid lead poisoning.

This is a great point. I did an engineering report on the presence of lead in an office attached to a shooting range at a government building. The ventilation system for the office was tied in with the range. Every surface above the drop ceiling panels was contaminated with lead to some degree and much of the office closest to the range were as well. Don't poison your building, get a proper ventilation system for the range.

how about a heavy padding or curtain (Kevlar?) over the wall (to stop chips and bullets rebounding ?

The ricochet particles going backwards when shooting proper targets will be negligible (I'm assuming you're not shooting directly at the concrete). However, anything in-plane to a hard target will be hit with lots of lead splatter. Either design for no hard targets or provide something to protect the surfaces in-plane with the targets.

Professional Engineer (ME, NH, MA) Structural Engineer (IL)
American Concrete Industries

http://www.americanconcrete.com

 

[thaidavid40]

The NRA has a whole series of design guides for both indoor and outdoor ranges. These are considered the "gold standard" for US range design.
Dave

Thaidavid

 

[BatMan]

There are SACON blocks used for firing ranges at DoD facilities...Army Corps has a spec on it but not sure about the Euro guys.