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Blast-resistant windows at Pentagon credited with saving lives

Following the September 11th, 2001 attack on The Pentagon, military leaders and Pentagon Renovation specialists credited blast resistant windows incorporating laminated glass and the steel structure that supported them with saving many lives. (The windows had already been installed in part of the building known as 'Wedge 1', as the first stage in a scheduled renovation).

New blast-resistant windows installed in Wedge 1 of the Pentagon are credited with reducing injuries after catastrophic airliner impact on September 11th.

Pentagon Renovation Program Communications Specialist, Brett Eaton, confirmed: "The new blast-resistant window system installed in Wedge 1 supported the floors directly above the impact for approximately 30 minutes after the attack, allowing hundreds of people to flee to safety."

Global glass specialist Viracon of Owatonna supplied the laminated glass for the project. Masonary Arts, Inc. (MAI) of Bessemer, Alabama designed, manufactured and installed the specially made windows. Project Manager of MAI, Christy Stanfield explained: "We had already installed 383 blast resistant, historically replicated windows in Wedge 1 of the Pentagon before September 11th. The custom-designed, blast-resistant steel structure in which the blast-resistant windows were installed was also manufactured and installed by MAI. The remaining 1,372 blast resistant historically replicated custom design windows had been placed in storage for future installation into Wedges 2-5 during the phased renovation process."

Notes Stanfield: "The historic, blast-resistant window systems incorporating laminated glass were designed utilizing the exact exterior profiles and dimensions of the original 1940s windows to ensure the historic integrity of the building."

The window replacement program will now be continued throughout all five wedges of the Pentagon's exterior rings. The US$ 1.5 billion renovation program (called 'Phoenix') is part of a contract from the US-based Historical Society (Pentagon Renovation Program). Helmuth, Obata + Kassabaum Inc. is the façade consultant for the program.

(Editor's note: U.S. Department of Defence Communication Guidelines prevent Laminated Glass News from describing the technical make-up of the blast-resistant laminated glass window solution.)