New model identifies weak spots in buildings to prevent terrorist attacks.
The researchers developed a model to assess how vulnerable multi-use buildings are to bomb attacks. They found that the risk of an attack is influenced more by the building's defense layers, supplementary groups, and explosion scenarios than by specific design elements. The model calculates the vulnerability of each defense layer and scenario, as well as the overall vulnerability of a building. By applying the model to two buildings, they identified cost-effective design changes to reduce vulnerability.