The assessment of damage to process equipment caused by blast waves may be carried out at different levels of detail, depending on the final aim of the analysis. With specific reference to the risk of domino effects, the starting point is the identification of equipment that may be damaged by blast waves originated from primary accidental scenarios. In this framework, the straightforward identification of possible damage following a blast wave is greatly enhanced by the availability of the so-called damage threshold values, i.e. minimum overpressure values at which a damage is expected on a given "target" equipment. Several authors have reported different and apparently contradictory threshold values for equipment damage caused by overpressure. The present study focuses on the definition of threshold values for both damage and loss intensity from process equipment. The concept of loss intensity was specifically defined in the framework of domino risk analysis. A fuzzy set model was developed to assess the thresholds for loss intensity of equipment given the maximum peak overpressure caused by a primary explosion. Threshold values were evaluated for different categories of process equipment and compared to values given in the open literature and international guidelines. The threshold values were used to define safety distances for domino effects. The results of the study confirm the necessity of taking into account the specific characteristics of different categories of industrial equipment for the reliable assessment of blast wave damage.
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