A comparative damage study of air- and water-backed plates subjected to non-contact underwater explosion

The response of the side shell to non-contact underwater explosion is of major concern in ship design. While extensive research is carried out on air-backed plates, relatively less attention is paid to water-backed plates. Nevertheless, the response of the water-backed plates becomes relevant when the water filled side shells are exposed to an underwater shock loading. Availability of scant information on the experimental results of water-backed plates is the primary motivating factor to make analytical estimates. These estimates are provided in comparison with an air-backed plate for identical attack geometry and target parameters. This work aims to bring out a comparative procedure for the damage assessment between air-and water-backed plates so that the response of the latter can be presented in terms of that of the former.