Masonry Wall Retrofit With Paxcon® Bomb Mitigation Coatings

PAXCON® elastomeric polymer works exceptionally well with concrete block walls. The PAXCON® protective coating material is a proprietary elastomeric polymer that is flexible, ductile and has modest strength. It can be sprayed using standard Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety practices for a hazardous material. The thickness of application is relatively easy to control, and the polymer bonds to a wide variety of surfaces.

An 8-foot by 8-foot wall was coated inside and out with the PAXCON® polymer and successfully tested against 80+ psi blast pressures. Unreinforced concrete block infill walls typically shatter and fail at 2-4 psi pressures. Although the PAXCON® coated wall experienced large deflections and the concrete block inside the PAXCON® polymer coating was severely fractured, the wall remained in place and no fragments entered the cubicle (as seen in the Post-Test image below). The PAXCON® polymer coating effectively contained the shattered wall fragments and would have prevented serious injury to persons inside the building.