Explosive Risk and Structural Damage Assessment Code (ERASDAC)

Abstract

This paper describes the principles behind software developed for the purpose of evaluating siting of facilities where explosives are stored, processed, assembled or handled. The work was funded as a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) project that was solicited by the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) and contracted through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville Division (USAEHD) which also provided technical review and direction. The objective of the software is to facilitate prediction of blast effects and associated hazards at acceptor buildings due to explosion accidents. The software is entitled Explosives Risk and Structural Damage Assessment Code (ERASDAC). The software operates on three levels. Level 1 provides a "quick" assessment of several generic types of building components by calculating component damage threshold distances that correlate to the user specified net explosive weight (NEW). Level 2 provides a site-specific and site-wide evaluation of all inhabited buildings for specified donors. At this level, inhabited buildings and donor facilities can be defined by choosing from an extensive library of pre-established buildings which are common to those found on-site or near DoD facilities. Level 3 allows detailed analysis of individual buildings. Here, the user can specify specific details of building structural members for analysis by the software. The ERASDAC software is currently being expanded under a Phase II SBIR to include fragment and debris hazard prediction methods; improved free-field blast prediction methods which will address a variety of donor sources; improved building load prediction methods to address orientation, clearing time, drag effects, shielding, and backside loading; improved structural response algorithms; and relationship between building damage and risk of injury to building occupants.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1996
Accession Number
ADA516794

Entities

People

  • Joseph M. Serena Iii
  • Mark G. Whitney
  • Michael W. Stahl

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accidents
  • Basic Programming Language
  • Blast
  • Blast Loads
  • Computer Programs
  • Construction
  • Coordinate Systems
  • Damage
  • Damage Assessment
  • Department Of Defense
  • Engineers
  • Explosions
  • Explosives
  • Free Field
  • Risk
  • Structural Response
  • Surface Burst

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Facility/Structural Engineering.
  • Software Engineering.