Dynamic Lateral Earth Pressures on Underground Structures: Predicting Stresses Due to Impact Loadings

Abstract

The underground detonation of an explosive device produces shock waves such as Primary waves (P-waves) and Secondary (or Shear) waves (S-waves). These waves cause buildup of pressures within a soil medium. These pressures have the capability of rendering destructive forces on underground structures, and consequently represent life threatening danger. Understanding these forces can aid in the design of underground structures to withstand such pressures, or alternatively, to design munitions which will render the maximum destructive power on underground structures when dropped at a predefined depth and distance from the structure. A conceptual representation of dynamic lateral earth pressures generated from an earth penetrating munition is shown.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 08, 1999
Accession Number
ADA371308

Entities

People

  • Curt A. Van De Walle

Organizations

  • University of Texas at San Antonio

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Pressure
  • Boundaries
  • Civil Engineering
  • Engineering
  • Explosive Devices
  • Finite Element Analysis
  • Free Field
  • Load Cells
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Modulus Of Elasticity
  • Strain Gages
  • Structural Engineering
  • Underground Structures
  • United States
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Geotechnical Engineering.
  • Seismology
  • Systems Analysis and Design