TABLE OF CONTENTS Many process plants are in buildings. It is also necessary, therefore, to consider explosions occurring inside buildings.
A leak of flammable gas or liquid may create a flammable atmosphere inside a building and give rise to an explosion. Such leaks may occur from plant processing flammable fluids, from activities involving such fluids or from fuel gas supplies. In enclosed conditions, dispersion of the leaked gas is poor and the hazard is therefore much enhanced.
An area of prime concern in respect of explosions in buildings is the hazard of gas explosions in dwellings, and much of the work done relates to this. An account is given in Gas Explosions in Buildings and Heating Plant (R.J. Harris, 1983).
Statistical information on the hazard of explosions in buildings has been given by F. Morton (1970), Mainstone (1973 BRE CP11/73, 1974 BRE BR9, 1983 BRE CP 2/83) and Taylor and Alexander (1974 BRE CP45/74).
A number of case histories of building explosions have been described by Mainstone (1976 BRE CP 24/76). One of the most severe building explosions was that at Ronan Point in 1968, which was the subject of an official report (H. Griffiths et al., 1968).
Analyses of the factors bearing on gas explosions in buildings have been given by Mainstone (1973 BRE CP 11/73, 1976 BRE CP24/76) and Taylor and Alexander (1974 BRE CP 45/74).
Movement of air in a building may be due...
