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The design of blast-resistant structures and protective systems requires a firm understanding of the loadings imparted to structures by blast waves. While empirical methods can reliably predict these loadings in the far field, there is currently a lack of understanding on the pressures experienced in the very near field, where physics-based numerical modelling and semi-empirical fast-running engineering model predictions can vary by an order of magnitude. In this paper, we present the design of an experimental facility capable of providing definitive spatially and temporally resolved reflected pressure data in the extreme near field ( Z < 0.5 m/kg 1 / 3 ). The Mechanisms and Characterisation of Explosions (MaCE) facility is a specific near-field evolution of the existing Characterisation of Blast Loading (CoBL) facility, which uses an array of Hopkinson pressure bars embedded in a stiff target plate. Maraging steel pressure bars and specially designed strain gauges are used to increase the measurement capacity from 600 MPa to 1800 MPa, and 33 pressure bars in a radial grid are used to improve the spatial resolution from 25 mm to 12.5 mm over the 100 mm radius measurement area. In addition, the pressure bar diameter is reduced from 10 mm to 4 mm, which greatly reduces stress wave dispersion, increasing the effective bandwidth. This enables the observation of high-frequency features in the pressure measurements, which is vital for validating the near-field transient effects predicted by numerical modelling and developing effective blast mitigation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a simplified blast load prediction method on structures behind a protective barrier. The proposed method is basically an empirical approach based on Kingery-Bulamsh (K-B) chart and finite element (FE) analysis results. To this end, this study divides the structure into three regions by three critical points. Blast loads at each critical point can be calculated based on K-B chart and an approximation according to FE analysis results. Finally, peak reflected overpressure and impulse distributed on the structure can be approximately estimated by linearly connecting blast loads at each critical point. In order to confirm a feasibility of the proposed method, a series of numerical simulations were carried out. The simulation results were compared with FE analysis results which are presented in the open literature. From such comparisons, it was found that the proposed method is applicable to predict blast loads on structures behind a protective barrier.

This study presents a simplified blast load prediction method on structures behind a protective barrier. The proposed method is basically an empirical approach based on Kingery-Bulamsh (K-B) chart and finite element (FE) analysis results. To this end, this study divides the structure into three regions by three critical points. Blast loads at each critical point can be calculated based on K-B chart and an approximation according to FE analysis results. Finally, peak reflected overpressure and impulse distributed on the structure can be approximately estimated by linearly connecting blast loads at each critical point. In order to confirm a feasibility of the proposed method, a series of numerical simulations were carried out. The simulation results were compared with FE analysis results which are presented in the open literature. From such comparisons, it was found that the proposed method is applicable to predict blast loads on structures behind a protective barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]