Real World Applications of API 753

The first edition of American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommend Practice (RP) 753 - Management of Hazards Associated with Location of Process Plant Portable Buildings was released in 2007. Since that time blast resistant modules (BRMs) have become a popular portable building option; however, other portable building options may also satisfy API RP 753 requirements. This paper provides an example of a systematic approach for performing an API 753 blast analysis as well as a discussion of the range of portable building options available to owner/operators seeking to comply with API RP 753. These building options include, but are not limited to, heavy (2×6 or 2×8) wood trailers, retrofitted iso-containers, and commercial BRMs. The paper also discusses the detailed analysis requirements for siting a portable building within the API RP 753 Zone 2 boundary. Finally, the paper presents a brief discussion of the internal debris throw hazard associated with the blast response of two different portable buildings as observed during full scale testing using the BakerRisk Deflagration Load Generator.