14 DAY TRIAL // The terrorist attacks have made the whole world see the real threat of international terrorism in a different light. Researchers from many countries have concentrated their efforts on the development of methods and special equipment by means of which it will be possible to detect explosive objects in advance or to protect buildings against their devastating effects.
That is way the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $85,000 to Sam Kiger, associate dean for research in the College of Engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia and Hani Salim, assistant professor of civil engineering in the college, who are working a new technology that can protect bridges against these attacks.
The new shield will have to be able to withstand an explosion, like the one caused by C4, the most widely used anti-structural explosive. Because of its stability and sheer destructive power, C-4 has attracted the attention of terrorists and guerilla fighters all over the world.
Bridges are vital elements of the infrastructure and among the most vulnerable of them. Many of them are the most used access points into vital parts of major cities. The new protective wall will have to be easy to add on existing piers and towers and will also be incorporated into new constructions.
"A blast would destroy the protective wall, but the bridge will be safe because the wall will block most of the blast's shockwaves," Salim said.
Two high explosive tests will be carried out by the scientists, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center and Federal Highway Administration researchers to examine how new materials will resist the blast and resulting debris from the wall.
"To control costs, our research will focus on using concrete and steel, materials that bridge engineers are familiar with," Kiger said. "We're trying to figure out the most practical way to do this."