RSSVery clever idea commercialized as the X-flex Blast Protection System, in which a high-tensile-strength composite film is applied to the inside of a masonry wall to reinforce it against lateral impact. The video embedded above was produced by Popular Science, who included the X-flex system in their Best of What's New 2009.
"Bomb-proof" kevlar wallpaper
Posted by Sean Michael Ragan |
Nov 18, 2009 09:00 AM
Made On Earth, News from the Future, Science |
Permalink
| Comments (5)
| Email This |
| Digg this!
Recent Entries
- Beginner woodworking project for illusionists?
- Brickarms molds
- LED people remake
- <3 your maker: MAKE's Valentine's Day gift guide
- Don't walk! Controlling a pedestrian sign with an Arduino
- UC Berkeley has "Nobel Laureate Only" parking spaces
- LEGO PCB Agitator
- Volkemon in Space: Additional launch pics
- "Batteries Out of Thin Air"
- From typewriter to teleprinter
Comments
Oldest comments listed first.
Leave a comment
Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!
Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to MAKE free. MAKE Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.
$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)
1) i think a bomb would exert more force than this
2) looks like the major stresses are being transferred to the upper and lower clips to hold the wallpaper in place, though some of the impact is dissipated through the shear failure of the adhesive. performance of the product assumes that the exterior frame can withstand these loads.
3) much more convincing video on their website
Reply to this comment
I agree that a bomb would be a whole lot more force, not to mention much faster too. My guess is this isn't for direct hits but to minimize collateral damage.
I also agree with you about the exterior frame being important. Brick usually doesn't have a supporting frame. The brick wall supports it's own weight and is only weak to lateral forces (like bombs). Corners are also very important in brick structures.
I was surprised how little the material stretched though. I remember seeing something a few years ago about a Japanese paint that helped make a building earthquake resistant? This reminds me of that. If this material could be built into a building (new construction) i think it could be really useful. Especially if it is cheaper than say reinforcing the wall with steel.
Reply to this comment
You've also got whatever compression generated by the upper and lower clips being pulled toward each other by the force of the impact aiding in keeping the wall more ridgid than in the non-papered tests..
Their test rig in that video is full of flaws.
Reply to this comment
wonder if this would help structural integrity against hurricane force winds and the associated debris. Might be more ideal for that use applied externally Also might help a brick and mortar walls be more flexible in earthquake zones.
Reply to this comment
The idea is clever, basically it is the reinforcing things by wrapping them in duct tape idea, but it has two fundamental flaws.
1. Windows are much more of a problem in bomb explosions than walls. Just look at photos from bomb scenes: the walls are the last thing standing.
2. The video talks about force. But the bomb does not only create force but releases energy. Something has to absorb this energy. This wallpaper does absorb the force but not the energy. It just transmits the energy to ceiling and floor. But if they are influenced by the explosion as well, this won't help that much. This only works for a small localized impact. Like a bulletproof wall. But not against general explosion shock waves which assert force on a large area. Those could be dampened by foam or something that absorbs the energy rather than distributing impact forces.
Reply to this comment