Pressure Wave Propagation and Interaction with Structures

The article deals with occurrence and propagation of pressure waves which can inflict substantial damage of structures and endanger the lives of soldiers and civilians. Nowadays, with the increasing incidence of terrorist acts, the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) as a powerful non-conventional weapon is becoming more common. Important military objects or parts of military base entrance can be chosen as a target. For this reason, the protection of infrastructure against terrorist attacks is one of the main goals to be solved. To minimize negative effects of blast wave interaction with protective structures and shelters some knowledge of the mechanisms of explosion and shock wave propagation is necessary to provide the best available planning, design, and construction for needed disaster resistant facilities. The behaviour of the protective structure during an explosion depends entirely on the materials and design parameters used in the construction of the structure. The high performance fiber reinforced concrete (HPFRC) appears to be a promising material for protective structures. Testing of this material was carried out to assess its suitability for building civil defence shelters and pure military protective structures. The process of blast and shock wave propagation through the air and the concrete slab was numerically simulated and then suitable measuring system was designed and practical experiments were performed. The numerical simulations and the results of the experiment are compared and discussed in the article.