Probability of damagae to building components from military impulsive noise sources

Abstract

Impulsive blast sound from activity at DoD facilities, generated by artillery firing or ordnance, or demolition explosions, can cause structural blast damage or adverse community impact. This paper provides a detailed model, not widely available, for the probability of such damage starting with models for blast pressure loading and blast duration as a function of distance and TNTequivalent weight of the blast charge. This is followed by summaries of statistical models for blast propagation and diffraction and reflection effects on blast loading on buildings. Then, analytical models for the velocity response of building structures to the blast loads and key evaluation of the stress response to this structural velocity are provided. All of this is supported by data on critical configuration and physical parameters of the various types of responding structure to the blast loads and a summary of the failure data for these structures to the blast loads. Emphasis is placed on blast damage to windows. The paper ends with a useful and extensive development of the Probability of Damage (POD) for structure to blast loading. A comparison is also made between predicted and actual window damage observed from an accidental explosion near an apartment complex. Two Appendices are provided for: (A), the TNT-equivalent weight for a wide range of explosives and ordnance and (B), a definition of the Step-by-Step procedures used to carry out computation of the POD from blast from military training operations for a wide range of structures but mostly windows.