A full coupled numerical analysis approach for buried structures subjected to subsurface blast

Abstract

The physical processes during an explosion in soil and the subsequent response of buried structures are extremely complex. Combining all these processes into a single analysis model involves several numerical difficulties but such a model will enable more realistic reproduction of the underlying physical processes. This paper presents a full coupled numerical analysis approach, in which the SPH (smooth particle hydrodynamics) method is adopted to model the near field medium to cater for large deformation, while the conventional FEM is used to model the intermediate and the far field soil medium and the structural response. A robust three-phase soil model developed by the authors is employed to model the soil mass. The numerical model is verified against empirical predictions and the comparison shows a favorable agreement.