Is a Blast‑Resistant Wall Really “Blast‑Resistant”? Rigorous Determination of Overpressure Attenuation Based on Chinese National Standards and DNV ExSim

Is an Explosion-Resistant Wall Really "Explosion-Resistant"? A Hard-Core Determination of Overpressure Attenuation Based on National Standards and DNV ExSim

VCE in the petrochemical industry, vapor cloud explosion () has long been a high-energy risk affecting production safety. To protect control rooms, cabinet rooms, and personnel areas, explosion-resistant isolation walls have become a common passive protection measure. But a key question always remains: is this wall actually effective? In the past it relied largely on experience; now, with national standards upgraded, the effectiveness of explosion resistance must be "quantifiable" and "verifiable."

01｜National Standard Requirement: Explosion-Resistant Walls Must Pass "Quantitative Verification"

Three core standards give a clear answer: SH/T 3224-2024 states that when an explosion-resistant wall is used as a risk mitigation facility, its safety, reliability, and effectiveness must be evaluated; CFD (computational fluid dynamics) technology is recommended for verification.

GB/T 50779-2022 determination focus: whether the isolation wall can significantly reduce the pressure experienced by the building behind the wall.

GB/T 37243-2019 allows the use of numerical simulation to determine whether the protective structure meets load and distance requirements.

In short: whether an explosion-resistant wall is "explosion-resistant" must be judged by data, not by feeling.

02DNV ExSim: Turning the "Invisible Shock Wave" into Data

Shanghai Tengxi uses the internationally recognized DNV explosion simulation software to construct a three-dimensional digital twin scenario that realistically reproduces the VCE shock wave propagation process.

ExSim can output:

• reflected shock pressure in front of the wall
• diffraction and attenuation processes behind the wall
• final incident overpressure on each face of the building (Pi

From now on, shock wave paths and pressure variations are no longer guesses, but visualized, verifiable engineering data.

03｜Three Key Indicators to Decisively Determine Whether an Explosion-Resistant Wall "Meets the Standard"

Q1｜Is a "Pressure Shadow Zone" formed?

If a low-pressure region (Pressure Shadow Zone) appears behind the wall, it indicates the isolation effect is in place.

Q2｜Is the peak pressure significantly attenuated?

10%–40% industry reference: the peak behind the wall compared to the peak in front — the greater the attenuation, the stronger the isolation effect.

Q3｜Do the loads on building surfaces meet national standards?

ExSim outputs the final pressure curves for the north wall, south wall, side walls, and roof; their pressure peaks must meet the structural limits in GB/T 50779. All three items pass → only then can the explosion-resistant wall be judged truly effective.

04｜Shanghai Tengxi: Making Explosion-Resistant Design "Visible and Calculable"

We provide:

• National-standard-compliant explosion-resistance effectiveness assessment
• High-precision simulations based on DNV CFD
• Professional technical reports usable by design institutes and review agencies

Pa-scientific explosion protection, so that every Pascal () of pressure has a basis.