1.2 Quantity Distances Shorter and Safer
Abstract
The British military quantity-distances are closely related to those agreed by NATO and over the last 4 years the Science, Explosives & Testing branch of the Naval Support Command has been asked to advise on the safety of over 400 potential explosion sites which do not accord with the quantity-distances advised by the UK Explosives and Storage Transport Committee (ESTC). Based on some of the experience gained in giving this advice, this paper reports how quantity-distances for some Hazard Division 1.2 explosives can be shorter without compromising safety. UK HD 1.2 Quantity-Distances are based on fragment throw and are set at distances where the concentration of lethal fragments which accumulates over the duration of an event is deemed tolerable. [1 x 80 Joule fragment/56 square meters]. Figure 1 shows that they are almost as greedy of space as those for HD 1.1. Both HD 1.1 and 1.2 distances have minimum distances to cope with building debris and unexploded ordnance. HD 1.1 diverges as blast becomes the predominant effect. HD 1.2 quantity-distances distinguish between big and small items of HE ammunition as the difference in detonating energy at fragment launch means that fragment kinetic energies differ. The HD 1.2 quantity-distances become asymptotic due to the limit of fragment throw. Joint research and tests by the US Navy and the UK ESTC is reported elsewhere in this seminar. Their work re-assesses lethal primary fragment throws from fires of stacks of Rounds 105 millimeter Pack Howitzer HE representing credible worst case events. A fair proportion of HE shell in a test survived. Almost all explosions were cook-offs creating sub-sonic fragments. There were very few isolated detonations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA507530
Entities
People
- R. B. Wilcox
Organizations
- Ministry of Defense