Blast mitigation
In anticipation of the need for better security at one of the nation’s most important structures, the Pentagon retained Commercial Window Shield in 1998 to install fragment retention window film to the interior surface of all the exterior-facing glass on the outer building E-ring and the child care center. Three years later, on 9/11, after an airliner piloted by terrorists crashed into the building, hundreds of lives were saved because the glass protected by security window film held in place.
This event, more than any other in the history of the security window film industry, show how effective and important fragment retention window film installation is on high-profile buildings. When American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building there was no product capable of preventing destruction at the point of impact. However, surrounded areas were protected as the windows did not shatter. Cracked glass and glass held together by the film could be seen in various live news feeds and magazine photos of the event.
The Pentagon project involved applying fragment retention window film to the inside surface of some 2,800 panes of glass. It was a difficult project. Security was extremely tight – all CWS installers had to pass strict security checks. This caused a number of project delays. Nevertheless, Commercial Window Shield completed the project to the satisfaction of pentagon officials. And on 9/11 the decision to have the security window film installed three years earlier proved to be a fortuitous one.