Centrifugal Modeling of Underground Structures Subjected to Blast Loading
Abstract
Reliable and economical design of survivable underground military structures requires better understanding of the complex parameters involved. Small-scale model testing of such systems offers major cost savings compared to full-scale tests. The laws of similitude and scaling relationships require some form of dead-load compensation to account properly for the effect of gravity stresses in scaled models. This can be accomplished by subjecting the scaled model to an increased acceleration field by use of a centrifuge. The objectives of this research were to determine the significance of gravity stresses on the response of underground structures subjected to blast loading. Discussion of the scaling relationships and procedures for model construction are presented. A complete instrumentation set-up for the measurements of shock pressures, strains and acceleration on the structure was designed, built and tested. This includes development of polyvinylidene fluoride piezoelectric shock pressure transducers and associated electronics. A series of tests at high-gravity and low-gravity environments were performed on 1/60 and 1/82-scale models of an underground protective structure subjected to a scaled blast loading. Based on the test results, it is concluded that the structural responses in the two gravity fields are different and that such parameters as wave speed, pressure magnitudes and structural strains are higher in the high-gravity tests.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA206424
Entities
People
- David Bloomquist
- F. C. Townsend
- Habibollah Tabatabai
- John J. Gill
- M. C. Mcvay
Organizations
- University of Florida