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March 2008
Raytheon unveils device to blast through concrete (Boston Globe)

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March 24, 2008
Raytheon Develops Advanced Concrete Breaking Technology for Urban Search and Rescue

Raytheon Makes Big Waves with Controlled Impact Rescue Tool

Imagine a search and rescue team arriving on the scene of a collapsed heavy concrete structure with survivors trapped between pieces of the rubble. Extracting the victims alive is usually a complicated, slow and dangerous process for both rescuers and victims, especially if breaching or breaking through concrete is necessary.

Safely breaching through reinforced concrete is difficult without the right tools and techniques. However, Raytheon has found an answer by developing a rapid concrete-breaching technology called the Controlled Impact Rescue Tool or CIRT. This technology will help improve efforts of urban search and rescue teams by providing new and faster capabilities to help save lives in disaster situations.

CIRT uses multiple blank ammunition cartridges to drive a specially designed impact head that applies a concentrated shock load into the concrete. Shock waves traveling through the concrete create the opening allowing rescue workers to remove the concrete more quickly than using other techniques, such as drilling chipping or sawing.

During a demonstration on Feb. 20, 2008, CIRT’s innovative approach to breaching or breaking through concrete was compared to the current industry standards for safety, speed and ease of use. Within minutes, the CIRT successfully penetrated a thick concrete wall and created a hole large enough for a potential victim to escape. The other methods that were tested took more than twice as long to accomplish the goal.

“This revolutionary approach decreased by 50 percent the time it takes to reach a victim trapped by concrete, increasing the probability of a successful rescue,” said Guy DuBois, vice president of Raytheon’s Operational Technologies and Solutions business.

Developed under the rapid technology application program of the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, the rapid breaching technology increases the speed in breaching concrete walls and barriers.