The blasts could be heard far and wide as we carried out two full days of blast testing with Keep®safe system at Drivecenter Arena in Fällfors this November. When the smoke cleared, it was evident that we hade pushed the boundaries of what is possible.
A total of 24 different products and combinations were tested – windows and doors equipped with Keep® safe system, our patented security solution for windows, doors, and façades. Several of these are directly tied to upcoming projects across Europe, with requirements ranging from civilian protection levels to army and defense classifications.
Testing in realistic environments
The blasts were conducted in accordance with the SS-EN 13123-2:2004 standard – so-called open-field tests performed outdoors. In our view, this is the most realistic and reliable method for evaluating how structures behave in real-life scenarios. The units were exposed to extremely high pressure loads – forces that are difficult to reproduce through other types of testing. Drivecenter Arena provides an ideal environment for this type of evaluation.
For this unique occasion, we also invited guests from many sectors – including builders, designers, and technical consultants, as well as representatives from authorities, municipalities, the Swedish Parliament administration, the Swedish Armed Forces, and civil society. This broad presence of people with insight into different protection needs allowed the test days to be followed and discussed from many perspectives.
Remarkable results open the door to new possibilities
All individual tests met the required criteria with a comfortable margin. One of the most striking blasts came from the test of an army gate that we designed and manufactured ourselves. The gate was exposed to a charge equivalent to factor 2 – in other words, double the required pressure load. Despite the extreme force, the gate remained completely undamaged after the blast, demonstrating the potential of the construction and offering a strong indication of what may be possible going forward.
We also tested standard wooden windows, measuring 1980 × 1980 mm, equipped with the Keep® safe system. One of the units first passed EXR1 without damage and then remained in place for EXR2 – also with an approved result. To our knowledge, wooden windows have not previously been tested in this way, and for an ordinary window of this size, the result is exceptional. It shows the potential that everyday wooden window solutions can achieve with our system.
Striking results open new opportunities
We also took the opportunity to test several glass combinations that are not normally used in blast-protected environments. These too performed well and passed the tests with good margins, opening up new opportunities for projects seeking durable and cost-effective alternatives.
The test days at Drivecenter Arena in Fällfors clearly demonstrated what is technically achievable, and the response has been swift. Interest in the Keep® safe system continues to grow – both in Sweden and among international actors who follow the development of next-generation safety solutions.
For this unique occasion, we also invited around fifty guests from a wide range of fields – builders, designers, and technical consultants, as well as representatives from authorities, municipalities, the parliamentary administration, the Swedish Armed Forces, and civil society. The presence of people with insight into different protection needs meant the test days could be followed and discussed from many perspectives.
