Investigating the significance of non-ideal effects in large-scale blast propagation

Abstract

The term non-ideal air blast (NIAB) refers to any blast propagation other than that in free-air or over a perfectly reflecting surface. NIAB effects in large-scale blast scenarios include phenomena such as shielding and channelling caused by obstacles such as terrain, buildings and vegetation. These effects can alter the loading received by a structure in the path of the blast wave, and, hence, its subsequent response. This study used numerical simulation to investigate the relative significance of various NIAB effects in this respect. The numerical methods employed are discussed, in addition to a summary of the results obtained. It is shown that the presence of terrain or buildings had the most significant impact on blast loading and resulting structural response.