A Study on the Economical Design of Protection Facilities through EXPLOSION TEST and Simulation

Purpose: In this study, the possibility of economical design of a protective structure was presented based on explosion test data and computer simulation results on the safety of both a building and human bodies for the combat training building. Method: A training facility was built for soldiers to experience the vibration, pressure, and noise generated inside the building due to the explosion of the TNT. In the explosion proof test, 9lb of TNT, equivalent to the weight of a 4.2-inch mortar shell, was detonated in four places around the building, including the roof of the training building, the door, and the outside of the wall to determine the damage. Vibration, pressure and noise transmitted into the building were measured. After the explosion test, the damage to the building was examined through a rebound hardness test and visual inspection, and the impact on the human body was estimated by measuring the pressure at three spots inside the building. Afterwards, computer modeling and simulation was performed using High Explosion Damage & Injury Assessment Model(HExDAM) and simulation results were com-pared with explosion test measurements. Results: As a result of inspecting the structural damage of the building, there was no significant displacement of the structure and it was determined that there was no problem in using the building. The compressive strength of concrete was observed through Schmidt hammer, it showed 96% of the strength compared to the design strength(30MPa). The pressure inside the building was measured in the range between 0.063 and 0.488 kPa, which is a very small value that is harmless to the human body. According to computer simulation, the internal pressure increased as the wall thickness decreased. However, even if the wall thickness was reduced, the pressure delivered to the inside did not increase significantly, and it was still found to be harmless to the human body. Conclusion: Through the explosion test, it was confirmed that the structure and personnel inside the training building for combat field experience were safe enough against the explosive power of a 4.2-inch mortar shell. Computer simulations showed that there is room for reducing the thickness of the wall of the building, and the necessity of economical design was suggested by using computer simulation for designing protection facilities and military facilities.