Blast Tests Research Articles

Dynamic increase factors for Radiata pine CLT panels subjected to simulated out-of-plane blast loading

The construction industry, which accounts for almost 20% of Australia’s carbon emissions, is responding to climate change by increasing the demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly materials. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is an innovative eco-friendly engineering material that can satisfy this demand due to its excellent properties, including fire and seismic resilience, natural insulation and lightweight, to name a few. This study presents the results of 8 blast tests, which were conducted on two types of Radiata pine CLT panels sourced in Australia. The CLT panels were subjected to simulated blast loads from a shock tube apparatus. The dynamic increase factor (DIFE) of the panels was quantified by comparing their stiffness in the dynamic and static loading regimes. Single degree of freedom (SDOF) and numerical models were developed to predict the elastic response of the CLT panels. Interestingly, the SDOF model predicted DIFE from 1.12 to 1.57 whilst the numerical model predicted DIFE from 1.05 to 1.43. The experimental and analytical results can supplement the development of design guidelines for predicting the behavior of Australian Radiata pine CLT panels under blast loading.

Rock damage control for large-diameter-hole lateral blasting excavation based on charge structure optimization

Controlling rock damage induced by lateral blasting excavation is a source of concern. In underground mines, large-diameter-hole lateral blasting excavation often causes engineering disasters such as large blocks falling and overall collapse of the remaining rock mass. Because of their high cost and cumbersome operation, conventional contour blasting techniques, such as smooth and presplit blasting, are unsuitable for production boreholes. In this paper, based on the large-diameter-hole lateral blasting excavation of the Shaxi underground mine in China, a field lateral blast test with a single row was initially conducted, and the sonic wave speeds and goaf boundaries were measured to evaluate the damage degree to the remaining rock mass. A numerical model with three rows of boreholes was developed and calibrated against the lateral blast test with a single row. The calibrated numerical model was used to simulate the blasting process. The blast-induced damage characteristics with different charge structures in different rows were investigated, and the optimal charge structure for each row was obtained. The results indicate that the rock damage control effect can be achieved by a reasonable combination of charge structures and number of blasted rows, and it is more satisfactory with an increasing number of blasted rows and a reasonable decrease in the charge coefficient row by row. The rock breaking pattern at Cut X2 shows that most of the boulders are caused by the collapse of the remaining rock mass under the impact of blasting excavation. The ratio of broken rock in Part 4 indicates that the blast impact of the last row plays a dominant role in the damage to the remaining rock mass. Two optimized schemes were applied to the field of large-diameter-borehole lateral blasting, and satisfactory effects were achieved in the blast-induced damage control of the remaining rock mass.

Strain Field Evolution Characteristics of Free Surface during Crater Blasting in Sandstone under High Stress

Considering the problems related to hard rock blasting under high in-situ stresses at large depths, we conducted crater blasting tests on sandstone specimens under three static load conditions to investigate the strain field evolution of rock blasting under high stress. The digital image correlation (DIC) technique was used to monitor the evolution of the strain field on the free surface. Thus, the influence of the static stress on the blasting strain field was analyzed, and the formation mechanism of cracks on the free surface was elucidated. The results indicate that a circular tensile strain zone was formed without static loading. The direction of the maximum principal strain was perpendicular to the radius, which lead to the random emergence of multiple radial tensile cracks. Under a uniaxial static loading, an elliptical tensile strain zone was formed. The direction of the maximum principal strain was perpendicular to the static loading direction. This facilitated the initiation and propagation of tensile cracks preferentially in the direction parallel to the static loading. Under an equal biaxial static loading, the initial compressive strain in the specimen reduced the increment rate of the blasting strain, and restrained the formation of surface cracks. Besides, a determination method for dynamic tensile fracture strain of rock was proposed.

Modeling and Dynamic Response of Curved Steel–Concrete–Steel Sandwich Shells Under Blast Loading

The steel–concrete–steel sandwich structures are usually composed of concrete core and face steel plates. This paper presented the dynamic response of the curved steel–concrete–steel (SCS) sandwich shells subjected to blast loading. The bolts were employed to connect the face steel plates and the concrete. Numerical model was established based on LS-DYNA and the accuracy of the modelling method was verified against existing blast test. The displacement histories, damage of concrete and energy absorption capability of the shell were obtained from the numerical calculations and discussed. Different failure modes of the curved SCS sandwich shell under various loads were obtained from numerical results, i.e., local deformation of the shell for the case of close-in detonations and buckling of steel plates for the case of far-field detonations. It was noted that the concrete debris can be restrained by the face steel plates with good ductility. Numerical results showed that the energy absorption from concrete is higher under close-in detonations on the ground. The effects of charge weight, steel plate thickness, concrete thickness and rise height on the dynamic response of curved SCS sandwich shells were also analyzed and discussed in detail. The curved SCS sandwich shell with thicker back steel plate showed better blast resistant performance. Moreover, the damage of curved shell was more serious if the rise height to span ratio (Rr-s) is beyond the range of 0.16–0.25.

Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of the desensitizing and remineralizing agent in the reduction of dentin hypersensitivity after orthodontic debonding - a randomized clinical trial.

IntroductionEnamel loss is a common problem during various orthodontic procedures. The study aims to compare the efficacy of a desensitizer and remineralizer in the reduction of the dentin hypersensitivity (DH) associated with enamel microcracks after orthodontic debonding.MethodsA unicentric two arm parallel study with 30 subjects randomly assigned to each groups following debonding. Group-1 subjects were treated with Gluma® desensitizer (5% glutaraldehyde and 35% hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)) and the Group-2 intervention included a remineralizing agent GC Tooth Mousse Plus® (casein phospho peptide and amorphous calcium Fluro phosphate (CPP:ACFP)). The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was utilized to evaluate DH as subjective perception of pain following the Air blast test and Cold test. The VAS scale was indexed from 0–10 markings based on the intensity of perception. Five different time points T0 and T1 - immediately after debonding and intervention on day 1, T2 – 48 hours, and T3 after 72 hours were taken for the assessment of VAS scores.ResultsThe VAS scores for the airblast test for group 1 were (2.73, 0, 0.06, 0.03) and group 2 (2.46, 0, 0.16, 0.13) at different periods. The sensitivity scores for the cold blast test for group 1 were (2.73, 0, 0.13, 0.03) and for group 2 (2.46, 0, 0.16, 0.13). There was 98 percent reduction in DH between T0 and T3 and was statistically significant (p<0.05) for both the groups.ConclusionGluma® desensitizer and GC Tooth Mousse Plus® are equally effective in the reduction of DH in the orthodontic patient following debonding.

Impact Response of Sacrificial Cladding Structure with an Alporas Aluminum Foam Core Under Blast Loading

This paper presents numerical and analytical studies of the response of a sacrificial cladding structure with an Alporas aluminum foam core and a thick mild steel cover and rear plates under blast loading. A suitable numerical model in LS-DYNA based on the coupled Load Blast Enhanced/Multi-Material Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (LBE/MM-ALE) methods is selected and validated using the experimental data available in the literature. The shock front propagation and micro-inertia effects are responsible for the strength enhancement predicted in the virtual blast test. Two models with different decaying blast loading functions are examined to study the fluid–structure interaction (FSI) effect. The simulation results show that the FSI effect is negligible if the foam core is strain-rate insensitive. Further investigations should be conducted with analytical models if the core material of the sacrificial cladding structures exhibits a strong strain-rate effect (for example, Alporas foam).

Mechanical Investigations of ASTM A36 Welded Steels with Stainless Steel Cladding

The in-service life of ASTM A36 welded steel pipes in power plants is often shortened by ash corrosion. During the heating condition, the ash deposition on the welded steel pipes gradually reduces the thickness of the pipes, thus, reducing the lifetime. Instead of replacing the pipes with new ones, the cost could be significantly reduced if the lifetime could be further extended. Weld cladding was the method selected in this study to temporarily extend the service life of welded pipes. This paper performed the mechanical investigations of A36—A36 welded steel plates after coating the surfaces with 309L stainless steel with a cladding method. The residual stress was also tested to observe the internal stresses developed during the welding processes of A36—A36 specimens. The comparison between the coated and non-coated surfaces of welded steels was performed by using the tensile tests (at room and elevated temperatures), corrosion (pitting corrosion, intergranular corrosion, and weight-loss corrosion) tests, and wear (shot blasting) tests. The life-extension of both coatings was evaluated based on the tensile tests and the corrosion and wear tests provided the qualitative evaluations of the coating performance. The results showed that surfaces coated by cladding could be used to temporarily extend the life of ASTM A36 welded steel under the studied conditions.

Damage assessment of prestressed concrete containment vessels behaviour under blast induced fire loading

Recently, explosions, collisions, and fires have occurred frequently around the world due to terror attacks, and impact accidents. Particularly, since the 9.11 terror attack, public anxiety heightened due to lack of safety in our society. The incidents can be viewed as examples of possible extreme loading scenarios that can occur in structures and infrastructures. Among all of structures and infrastructures, prestressed concrete containment vessels (PCCVs) are the most vulnerable structures from terrors and accidents. Therefore, in this study, finite element software LS-DYNA and MIDAS FEA, are used to evaluate of PCCVs applied with blast induced fire loading resistance. Since the blast test on a full-scale PCCV is not realistically possible, it is necessary to develop a precise simulation tool to accurately evaluate the damage level of a full-scale PCCV. This study aims to improve the accuracy of the simulation tool by calibrating numerical software using experimental test data. Then, the parametric study is conducted according to the explosive charge weight, standoff distance, and concrete compressive strength of a PCCV using calibrated blast and fire simulation tools. Based on the study results, the level of damage assessment to PCCVs applied with blast-fire loading can be precisely evaluated.

A Comparative Study on Blast-Resistant Performance of Steel and PVA Fiber-Reinforced Concrete: Experimental and Numerical Analyses

This paper deals with the blast-resistant performance of steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber-reinforced concrete (PVA-FRC) panels with a contact detonation test both experimentally and numerically. With 2% fiber volumetric content, SFRC and PVA-FRC specimens were prepared and comparatively tested in comparison with plain concrete (PC). SFRC was found to exhibit better blast-resistant performance than PVA-FRC. The dynamic mechanical responses of FRC panels were numerically studied with Lattice Discrete Particle Model-Fiber (LDPM-F) which was recently developed to simulate the meso-structure of quasi-brittle materials. The effect of dispersed fibers was also introduced in this discrete model as a natural extension. Calibration of LDPM-F model parameters was achieved by fitting the compression and bending responses. A numerical model of FRC contact detonation was then validated against the blast test results in terms of damage modes and crater dimensions. Finally, FRC panels with different fiber volumetric fractions (e.g., 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%) under blast loadings were further investigated with the validated LDPM-F blast model. The numerical predictions shed some light on the fiber content effect on the FRC blast resistance performance.

Design and Construction of an In-Laboratory Novel Blast Wave Simulator

In spite of the worldwide recognition of the importance of testing blast effects on dummy humans, there is a lack of blast simulators that are capable of generating realistic blast conditions in the laboratory. The objective of the present study was to design, construct and test a blast tube that is able to accurately reproduce loading histories of actual explosions in the laboratory. The design combines some advantages of existing blast-wave generating facilities. Using numerical simulations, a 5-m long blast tube was designed. The blast tube is large enough to enclose dummies including torso and head, wearing vests and/or helmets. The system generated blast waves equivalent to those of a spherical explosion of about 3.5 kg TNT with an over pressure of 0.64 bar and a positive phase of 4 ms. The repeatability of the experiments was very good. The blast tube’s open end is square of 1.57 m × 1.57 m and although designed for experiments on human dummies, it could be used for testing even full-scale structural components. High quality high-speed photography was demonstrated through the designed windows. Our preliminary study on the effect of a helmet on a dummy’s head revealed that the tested helmet amplified by a factor of 2 and more the peak pressure in the back side of the head. The newly designed blast tube is capable of simulating close range blast waves, manifested with short positive durations. Experiments with and without helmets revealed the importance of blast testing for improving helmet design.

Response of masonry systems against blast loading

In this paper eight successive experimental blast tests with an increasing TNT equivalent charge weights ranging from 0.56 kg to 17.78 kg were conducted on unreinforced, ferrocemented overlay masonry and confined masonry walls. The pressure-time history caused by the blast was recorded by pressure sensors installed on the test specimen. The resulting damage pattern was observed during each test. Weak zones in the three systems of masonry were identified. Scaled distances for different damage levels in the three masonry systems were experimentally obtained. The results provide a basis for determining the response of each masonry system against blast loading. Consequently, efficiency of ferrocemented overlay masonry and confined masonry was found established in mitigation against blast loads.

Microstructural evolution and micromechanical properties of SAC305/CNT/CU solder joint under blast wave condition

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of carbon nanotube (CNT) addition on microstructure, interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layer and micromechanical properties of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305)/CNT/Cu solder joint under blast wave condition. This work is an extension from the previous study of microstructural evolution and hardness properties of Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder under blast wave condition. Design/methodology/approach SAC/CNT solder pastes were manufactured by mixing of SAC solder powder, fluxes and CNT with 0.02 and 0.04 by weight percentage (Wt.%) separately. This solder paste then printed on the printed circuit board (PCB) with the copper surface finish. Printed samples underwent reflow soldering to form the solder joint. Soldered samples then exposed to the open field air blast test with different weight charges of explosives. Microstructure, interfacial IMC layer and micromechanical behavior of SAC/CNT solder joints after blast test were observed and analyzed via optical microscope, field emission scanning microscope and nanoindentation. Findings Exposure to the blast wave induced the microstructure instability of SAC305/Cu and SAC/CNT/Cu solder joint. Interfacial IMC layer thickness and hardness properties increases with increase in explosive weight. The existence of CNT in the SAC305 solder system is increasing the resistance of solder joint to the blast wave. Originality/value Response of micromechanical properties of SAC305/CNT/Cu solder joint has been identified and provided a fundamental understanding of reliability solder joint, especially in extreme conditions such as for military applications.

Effect of Blast Wave on Intermetallics Formation, Hardness and Reduced Modulus Properties of Solder Joints

Tin-Silver-Copper (SnAgCu) lead-free solder on Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENiG) and Immersion Tin (ImSn) surface finish printed circuit board was subjected to blast test. A variation of intermetallic compounds (IMC) layer, hardness and reduced modulus of soldered sample exposed to blast test were intensively investigated using optical microscope and nanoindentation machine. Formation of IMCs due to reaction between solder and substrate during blast test provided deleterious effect of metallurgical bond strength and reliability on the solder joint. Microstructural analysis was evaluated via Infinite Focused Microscope (IFM). The findings of these studies indicate that best surface finished for blast test performance was not necessarily the best surface finish for optimum reliability. ENiG and ImSn surface finish can be advantage or a disadvantage depending on the application, package and reliability requirements. As a result, most component assemblers are using ENiG and ImSn in order to improve solderability as well as the wettability between solder and the substrate and to meet various package requirements.

Metallic Ribbon-Core Sandwich Panels Subjected to Air Blast Loading

Sandwich structures provide a quite promising solution for blast alleviation techniques owing to their lightweight, high strength, and impressive energy absorption capabilities relative to solo metallic plates with equivalent density. The ability of the sandwich structure to withstand blast loading relies on its core topology. This paper numerically investigates the effectiveness of using ribbon shapes as an innovative core topology for sandwich structures subjected to blast loading. The hydro-code program (Autodyn) supported by the finite element program (ANSYS) is adopted to study the dynamic response of various sandwich panels. The accuracy of the finite element (FE) models were verified using available experimental results for a field blast test in the literature. The results show that the developed finite element model can be reliably exploited to simulate the dynamic behavior of the sandwich panels. The trapezoidal (TZ) and triangular (T) corrugated core topologies were selected to highlight the blast-resistant performance of the new ribbon core topology. Applying the ribbon topology to the traditional corrugated core topologies improved their blast performance. The facing front-plate’s deflection of the trapezoidal corrugated ribbon core sandwich structure (TZRC) has been improved by 45.3% and by 76.5% for the back-plate’s deflection, while for the triangular ribbon corrugated core (TRC), the front plate’s defection has been enhanced by 69.3% and by 112.1% for the back plate. The effect of various design parameters on the blast behavior of the Ribbon-Core Sandwich Panels (RCSPs) was investigated. A parametric study was conducted to evaluate performance indicators, including energy dissipated through plastic deformation and plate deflections. Finally, based on the parametric study, the results of this paper were recommended to be used as a guide for designing metallic ribbon sandwich structures with different protection levels.

Experimental Records from Blast Tests of Ten Reinforced Concrete Slabs

The design and evaluation of structures subjected to blast loads has increased steadily since the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. While shock tube testing has filled some of the data gap by replicating blast waves in a controlled fashion, there is only scant field explosion data that is easily accessible for the structural engineering community for hypothesis testing or model validation. This paper summarizes experimental design, pre-test sensor verification, and data collection from 10 reinforced concrete slabs subjected to field explosions using a modest budget. The experimental record contains pressure, displacement, and acceleration measurements of each slab except in a few cases where the sensors have failed. The data is archived at George Mason Dataverse. Following detailed description of the experimental record for each slab, an example is provided in which the data can be utilized for finite element model verification.

Structural performance of a wood-sand-wood wall for blast protection

In recent years, a noticeable increase in the number of suicide bombing attacks has been noticed. These incidents have targeted civilians and civil infrastructure leaving numerous victims and huge losses in property. Residential complexes and commercial buildings are generally not designed to resist abnormal loads such as explosions. Blast wall systems, also known blast barriers, have been required to mitigate the destructive effects of blast wave in regions where they are most likely to occur. The present study considers the response of a wood-sand-wood (WSaW) blast wall as an example of low-cost blast walls made of readily available materials that can be installed with minimal effort to be used around individuals houses when threat of terrorist attacks is probable. The performance of this WSaW blast wall under blast loading was evaluated experimentally. An open-space blast test was conducted to measure the distribution of blast pressure around/behind the WSaW wall as well as its response. The test results were compared with the results of finite element simulations. The WSaW wall showed significant promise in mitigating the blast wave energy. This study recommends further exploration of WSaW blast walls to potentially reduce casualties and losses in properties in different attack scenarios. Moreover, it is important to draw the attention of researchers and designers to start investigating the performance of simple blast walls made of other readily available materials since it is an urgent need in most areas threatened by terrorism.

Underwater blast loading of partially submerged sandwich composite materials in relation to air blast loading response

The research presented in this paper focusses on the underwater blast resilience of a hybrid composite sandwich panel, consisting of both glass-fibre and carbon-fibre. The hybrid fibres were selected to optimise strength and stiffness during blast loading by promoting fibre interactions. In the blast experiment, the aim was to capture full-field panel deflection during large-scale underwater blast using high-speed 3D Digital Image Correlation (DIC). The composite sandwich panel was partially submerged and subjected to a 1 kg PE7 charge at 1 m stand-off. The charge was aligned with the centre of the panel at a depth of 275 mm and mimicked the effect of a near-field subsurface mine. The DIC deflection data shows that the horizontal cross-section of the panel deforms in a parabolic shape until excessive deflection causes core shear cracking. The panel then forms the commonly observed “bathtub” deformation shape. DIC data highlighted the expected differences in initial conditions compared to air-blast experiments, including the pre-strains caused by the mass of water (hydrostatic pressure). Furthermore, water depth was shown to significantly influence panel deflection, strain and hence damage sustained under these conditions. Panel deformations and damage after blast was progressively more severe in regions deeper underwater, as pressures were higher and decayed slower compared to regions near the free surface.An identical hybrid composite sandwich panel was subjected to air blast; one panel underwent two 8 kg PE7 charges in succession at 8 m stand-off. DIC was also implemented to record the panel deformations during air blast. The air and underwater blast tests represent two different regimes of blast loading: one far-field in air and one near-field underwater. The difference in deflection development, caused by the differing fluid mediums and stand-off distances, is apparent from the full-field results. During underwater blast the panel underwent peak pressure loading of approximately 52.6 MPa whilst during air blast the panel was subjected to 67.7 kPa followed by 68.9 kPa peak pressure loads in succession. The two experiments demonstrate the response of the same hybrid composite sandwich panel under two differing blast regimes.The post-blast damage and strength of the hybrid panels following air and underwater blasts were evaluated. Post-blast testing revealed that the underwater blast causes significantly more damage compared to air blast, particularly debonding between the skins and core. The air blast panel sustains no visible rear skin/core debonding, whereas 13 regions of rear-face debonds are identified on the underwater blast panel. Sustaining no front-skin breakage was advantageous for retaining a high proportion of the compressive modulus for this hybrid layup following underwater blast. Damage mechanisms were interrelated. Determining the most detrimental type is not straightforward in real explosive and non-idealised experiments, however debonding was understandably shown to be significant. A further study to isolate failure modes and improve in situ instrumentation is ongoing.

Effects of detailing on the blast and post-blast resilience of high-strength steel reinforced concrete (HSS-RC) beams

This paper examines the influence of reinforcement detailing and fibers on the static and blast performance of beams built with high-strength concrete (HSC) and high-strength (HS) steel reinforcement. The beams in this study had dimensions of 125 mm × 250 mm × 2440 mm (b × d × L), and were built with HSC and Grade 690 MPa ASTM A1035 reinforcement. Longitudinal reinforcement in tension consisted of either 2-No.4 or 2-No.5 high-strength bars (ρ = 1% or 1.5%), while transverse reinforcement consisted of closed ties or open-stirrups made from 6 mm wire arranged at various spacing (s). Group A beams (6 specimens) were designed according to modern blast standards, with top continuity bars and closely spaced ties at s = 50 mm (d/4) throughout the beam span, while Group B beams (2 specimens) were designed with high-strength fiber-reinforced concrete (HSFRC) and a larger tie spacing of s = 100 mm (d/2). The performance of the beams is compared to that of a control set of singly-reinforced beams with “nominal detailing” consisting of open-stirrups spaced at s = 100 mm (d/2) in the shear spans only - Group C. Blast tests were conducted using a shock-tube with companion beams tested under quasi-static four-point bending. The use of blast detailing in Group A is found to significantly enhance the ductility of the high-strength steel reinforced concrete beams under static loading, allowing for full utilization of the high-strength bars in tension. Improved detailing also leads to important enhancements in blast behavior, including better control of displacements, increased blast capacity and high damage tolerance when compared to the Group C control specimens. Moreover, the results from Group B demonstrate that fibers can be used to relax transverse steel detailing without compromising ductility or performance under both static and blasts loads. The ability of high-strength steel to reduce steel requirements is also demonstrated. Moreover, the post-blast performance of the beams is assessed through residual static testing of the blast-damaged beams. The results show that blast detailing and fibers allow for significant residual post-blast resistance and energy-absorption capacity. As part of the analytical study the blast response of the test beams is predicted using 2D finite element (FE) modelling. The results show that the FE procedure which employed the Disturbed Stress Field Model was able to accurately capture the peak load and failure mode of the beams under static conditions. Under blast loading, the model also captured the displacement response of the beams up to first peak, however the accuracy reduced at subsequent cycles, with the results found to be sensitive to the choice of damping coefficients.

Analysis of fracture mechanism for surrounding rock hole based on water-filled blasting

The principles of fracture development during underwater blasting are examined based on explosion and impact dynamics, fluid dynamics, fracture dynamics, and field testing. The research reveals that the fracturing of the surrounding rock during underwater blasting is due to the combined action of shock and stress waves for the initial rock breakage and subsequent water expansion. The fracture development model for the surrounding rock of a drilling hole during underwater blasting is established. The rock fracturing range under the combined action of shock and stress waves is developed, as well as the fracture propagation rules after the wedging of the water medium into the fractures. Finally, the results of deep-hole underwater blasting tests on large rocks confirm the efficient utilization of explosive in the hole to improve the safety conditions. Accordingly, safe and static rock breaking under the detonation of high-effect explosive can be achieved. In addition, super-dynamic loading from the explosions and static loading from the water medium in the hole can be adequately combined for rock breaking.

Damage to fibre-polymer laminates caused by surface contact explosive charges

Blast response of composite materials is a crucial aspect for applications in engineering structures potentially subjected to extreme loadings. In this work, damage caused to fibre-polymer laminates by surface contact explosive charges is studied experimentally and numerically. In the blast tests, explosive charges placed in direct contact with glass or carbon fibre laminates cause partial or complete perforation due to the extremely high localised pressure generated by the blast. Damage is localised to the immediate vicinity of the explosive charge location, and includes fibre-matrix interfacial cracks, matrix cracks, delaminations, and broken and pulverised fibres. Finite element (FE) modelling can predict the types and amount of blast-induced damage. FE analysis reveals that the blast energy is absorbed by the laminates via fibre fracture and delamination cracking. Other types of damage, such as matrix cracking, absorb little energy. The FE models were validated against the results from experimental blast tests. Parametric analysis using the FE model is performed to determine the effects of several variables on the amount and types of damage, including the mass of the surface explosive charge and the thickness of the composite material.