GAP’s Dennis Kelly Discusses New AAMA Blast Mitigation Specs

November 5, 2014

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) has released AAMA 510-14, Voluntary Guide Specification for Blast Hazard Mitigation for Vertical Fenestration Systems, which provides a guide to manufacturers, architects/specifiers, contractors and building owners for specifying these types of systems and services to meet the requirements of blast hazard mitigation.

Blast mitigation products are intended for the reduction of injuries and fatalities of occupants under defined blast criteria. The method of installing these products is as important as the product itself, and must be evaluated during testing and/or structural analysis.

“Unlike most AAMA documents, this one is primarily designed to be a roadmap for architects to use as a reference guide and format for specifying hazard mitigation products,” says Dennis Kelly (Graham Architectural Products), chair of the Security Hazard Mitigation for Fenestration Products Committee.

This document was last updated in 2006. It was developed in cooperation with several government and industry groups over the course of a few years to incorporate the best practices and accepted test standards, Kelly adds.

“A very important use of this significant document is that, if the procedure in the document is followed and the laboratory is accredited as noted in the document, the specifier can be confident that the product he or she is specifying when tested in accordance with the stipulated procedures can be matched to other products and will meet the requirements as desired,” says Kelly.

For more information, contact Bruce Croak, Graham Architectural Products technical marketing manager, 717-849-8100.