Application of Modern Techniques for Blast Hazard Mitigation

ABSTRACT
As a result of the devastating effect of accidental explosions during transportation of
explosive devices, blast load effects and mitigation of the resulting hazard have received
considerable attention in recent years. International peacekeeping efforts require long -distance
transportation of explosive devices and sensitive ammunition to highly unstable regions of the
world, Blast- resistant transport containers and storage facilities must be designed to
withstand specific levels of accidental explosions. Such facilities are constructed using thick
reinforced concrete or heavy steel sections, and typically weigh t 20 - 30 ton, with capacities
to resist explosions equivalent to those resulting from 10 - 150 kg TNT. In addition to the
demand on light-weight explosive transportation system, the development of cost –effective
blast protection system to limit the use of traditional heavily reinforced concrete shelter
system is also becoming necessary. To mitigate the blast load effects on critical structures or
within explosive transport containers, engineering solutions may aim at providing sufficient
stand-off distance from expected explosion epicenter. However, this option is not viable
because of practical space limitations. Anther option would be to use sacrificial materials that
are capable of dissipating and /or absorbing blast wave energy and, thus, mitigati ng blast load
hazards, available data from recent experiments has shown that Rigid Polyurethane
Foam(RPF) have a remarkable capability to absorb and dissipate blast wave energy. In
addition, a series of investigations on the application of RPF focused on e valuating the effect
of the foam density on the capability to absorb the impact of explosive blast waves, fragments
and projectiles have been conducted during the past two decades.