Tests and Analysis for Safe Distances from High Performance Magazine Overpressure and Debris
Abstract
The High Performance (HP) Magazine is an ordnance storage concept that will reduce the land encumbered by ESQD (Explosives Safety Quantity Distance) arcs and improve the efficiency of weapons handling operations. The HP Magazine uses a reinforced concrete roof with soil cover to mitigate the fragment and debris hazard. The mass from thicker than normal soil cover (> 2 feet) controls fragment and debris distances. Tunnel exits are used to restrict shock propagation and control safe pressure distance and reduce the total encumbered land area. Twelve small-scale (1/10) and one large-scale (1/4) tests were conducted by the Energetic Materials Research & Testing Center (EMRTC) at Socorro, NM in 1991 - 1994. For the 1/10-scale tests, a reusable magazine test fixture was built and twelve tests were performed in which 2.4-inch thick reinforced roof slab specimens were covered with 0, 3.6, 5.4, or 12.0 inches of soil. The explosive test charges were rectangular blocks of Composition C4 (equivalent to 10, 15, or 55 pounds of TNT). The 1/4-scale test structure had 24 inches of soil above a 10.5-inch thick reinforced concrete roof. The explosive charge was five rectangular blocks of Composition C4 (equivalent to a total of 859.4 pounds of TNT). Data included airblast instrumentation, high-speed motion pictures, and debris recovery. The measured interior and exterior blast pressures will be presented and compared with values from current prediction methods. The recovered debris will be used to determine safe debris distances and compare to values predicted with the analytical model DISPRE.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA498804
Entities
People
- Robert N. Murtha
Organizations
- Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center