DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A SHOCK TUNNEL FACILITY FOR CONDUCTING FULL-SCALE TESTS OF LOADING, RESPONSE, AND DEBRIS CHARACTERISTICS OF STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS,

Abstract

This report describes the conversion of an existing large-cross- sectional-area tunnel into a shock tube and the evaluation of the capabilities of this facility for blast loading and response studies of full-scale and large- scale structural elements. Also included are the results from a preliminary test series of full-scale wall panels conducted as part of the evaluation program and the design of a detailed test program to investigate the loading, response, and debris characteristics of wall panels. Shock waves are generated in the expansion chamber of the tunnel by detonating strands of primacord which have been uniformly distributed throughout a section of the compression chamber. Evaluation tests conducted to date indicate that a wide range of air blast conditions can be generated depending on the explosive arrangement. Both peaked and flat-topped pulse shapes have been obtained, with total durations approaching 100 msec and flat-topped durations of about 40 msec.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1967
Accession Number
AD0674256

Entities

People

  • A. B. Willoughby
  • B. Gabrielsen
  • C. Wilton

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Counter WMD
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Pressure
  • Concrete
  • Construction
  • Elastic Properties
  • Explosives
  • Instrumentation
  • Load Cells
  • Masonry
  • Materials
  • Mechanics
  • Modulus Of Elasticity
  • Pressure Gages
  • Pressure Measurement
  • Reinforced Concrete
  • Scale Models
  • Shock Tubes
  • Test And Evaluation

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Reinforced Composite Materials