Effectiveness of TM 5-1300 Cubicles Added to Existing Buildings,

On 1 April 1985 at approximately 820 a.m., an accidental explosion occurred at Milan Army Ammunition Plant MAAP, Building A-2 of Line A. The source of the event was a feed hopper serving a grenade pressing operation. It was estimated that the feed hopper contained approximately 18 pounds of Composition A5. The pressing operation was located in a reinforced concrete cubicle located on the east side of the building. The incident caused the blowout failure of the frangible exterior wall of the adjacent service ramp, as well as the failure of a large area of the cement asbestos roofing over the main area of the building behind the cubicle. There was no significant structural damage to the building framing or the press cubicle. There were 45 operating personnel in the building at the time of the incident and only two minor injuries occurred, neither requiring hospitalization. Repairs of the building were completed by July 1985. This paper discusses the evaluation of the blast within the building and also the effects of the blast on the operating personnel.