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Coated Buildings Take Nearly 200 Grenades
By Julie Short
 Down a dirt road in the Georgia countryside outside of Fort Benning, National Security Associates (NSA) builds 10' by 10' by 10' (3.05m x 3.05m x 3.05m) concrete bunkers and other structures and coats them with ArmorThane polyurethane spray. This is the site of assault training for special operations combat military and police tactical units.
Why spray with polyurethane or polyurea? The goal is not to destroy every target but to give students real-life rehearsal opportunities before facing actual conflict. This high tensile coating strengthens the walls and quadruples the life of these structures that are directly exposed to explosions, thus cutting costs.
“We had been spraying our truck bed liners and other parts to lengthen the service life of our vehicles in the past. They take a beating with hauling blocks, wood, equipment, etc.,” explains Rob Jones, the Product Manager with NSA. “Then, about two years ago, we decided to try spraying the buildings and found that they lasted three to four times longer before needing to be demolished and rebuilt.”
At NSA, groups are trained on small unit assault techniques, urban raids, vehicle offensive and defensive operations, command security detail operations, all protocols of general combat demolitions, explosive structural breaching and special purpose demolition techniques. Although the company was established in 1996, personnel have been involved with training and combat duty for much longer. Their list of clients is impressive. And so is the training.
One training exercise requires throwing live grenades into a bunker. In the past, this resulted—relatively quicklyin a large amount of damage. After about 40 explosions, the bunker needed to be destroyed and replaced with a new one. Now, a bunker can last through 150 to 180 grenades and requires only a fresh coat of ArmorThane for most repairs in-between iterations. At roughly $20,000 per new bunker, the savings add up.
NSA has taken training to the next level by building an “urban village” to mimic the type of environment found in the Middle East. In their village, different methods of entry are taught and practiced to include manual, ballistic, and explosive techniques. Most of the walls and some doors of these structures are coated for increased durability. These include backfilled cinderblock and mortar walls and structures, 40' (12.19m) shipping containers, and heavy wood and metal doors.
Savings And Safety
NSA has also seen safety benefits in the use of polyurethane by coating their explosive viewing bunkers to protect spectators. The coating reduces the impact from flying blasted fragment on the viewing bunkers. Some of the fragments can exceedthe size of a baseball.
“When NSA started coating structures, we came back to Georgia to train new employees on how to spray and maintain equipment,” says Jack Anderson, ArmorThane. “They had turnover, as all companies do, and techniques had been passed person to person. We ensured they knew the right process for the product and applications being used.”
ArmorThane has developed new coating products such as ArmorBlast for ballistic and blast mitigation. These reduce casualties and property damage from terrorist attacks as well as natural and environmental risks. These are used to coat vehicles and structures for actual combat and for situations with government and high profile individuals and venues. ArmorThane’s line of polyurethane and polyurea coatings also includes protection for a variety of surfaces such as truck bed liners, spill containment, armored tanks, and more. These vary in hardness, tear strength and color stability. Products designed for blast mitigation maximize elasticity and strength to expand and retract without ripping apart.
“For NSA’s training, I can’t begin to describe how beneficial this coating has been,” states Jones. He continues, “Our clients are still surprised every time by the product’s durability and the effectiveness it has in minimizing collateral property damage.”
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