Centrifuge Modeling of Explosion-Induced Craters in Unsaturated Sand

Abstract

Craters, induced by explosive detonations, were modeled in dry and partially saturated sand in a geotechnical centrifuge. The apparent dimensions of the explosion-induced craters are analyzed as dimensional terms and dimensionless pi terms. Analysis of dimensional terms through a comparison of yield exponents shows that the scaling laws for apparent crater dimensions are the same for dry and partially saturated sand. Analysis of the dimensionless pi terms derived by Schmidt and Holsapple (1977) for buried charges, shows apparent crater volume (pi sub 1 = Pi sup v) and depth (Pi sub 1 = Pi sub d) do not follow the same scaling laws in partially satruated sand. Normalized (divided by the cube root of the charge mass) apparent crater diameter and depth data fit the best-fit prediction curves for sand derived by the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station. However, the apparent crater diameter data do not fall within the range from dry to wet sand predicted by the Air Force Protective Construction Design Manual. Scaled apparent crater dimensions of crater volume, radius, and depth increase at a point between 0 and 20 percent compaction saturation. Between 20 to 70 percent the influence of compaction saturation on apparent crater dimensions appears to remain constant.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA270194

Entities

People

  • K. C. Brownell
  • W. A. Charlie

Organizations

  • Colorado State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Civil Engineering
  • Construction
  • Detonations
  • Engineers
  • Explosions
  • Explosive Charges
  • Explosives
  • High Explosives
  • Materials
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Science
  • Materials Testing
  • Mechanics
  • Rdx
  • Scaling Laws
  • Wave Propagation

Readers

  • Approximation Theory.
  • Geotechnical Engineering.