Lessons from the Oklahoma City Bombing: Defensive Design Techniques

The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Office Building in Oklahoma City in 1995 caused massive structural damage. This book documents the incident from the structural engineer’s perspective, covering the weapon used, the specific damage sustained, and vulnerabilities inherent in the building’s design. The authors, who were closely involved in events immediately after the blast, describe the initial hazard assessment, offer a chronological log of engineering activities, and present a guide to building collapse evaluation. They also recount the hazard mitigation steps taken during the rescue and recovery process.