Experimental Studies to Investigate Pressure Loading on Target Plates

Abstract

The pressure distribution on the bottom of an armored vehicle caused by a detonating explosive buried in soil has been long of interest in the community of the Armed Services. This experimental study discusses results from small-scale tests conducted to determine the distribution of pressure on target plates when subjected to loading due to the detonation of buried mines. A new methodology has been developed in order to measure the pressure - time profiles on the bottom of a vehicle. The tests are conducted by using water, saturated sand, and dry sand as the loading media. Different stand off distances are investigated using saturated sand. Kolsky bars and pressure sensors, on the target plate, are used to determine the free-field pressure - time profile of the output of the charge at any location for the vehicle bottom. For verification of the pressure results at certain distances, the specific impulse measured by utilizing different size round plates are employed. In order to investigate the loading mechanisms, high speed cameras are applied. The small-scale test results can be scaled to full scale by using verified scaling laws. The results of this research are of interest to the U.S NAVY and U.S ARMY in order to develop and evaluate computer codes which are mainly used in soil models. These computer codes are to be used to design mine resistant personnel carriers and in the field to predict the threat assessments.