Explosion Hazards Evaluation
Terrorist bomb damage to Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Oklahoma City.
Post-accident debris and damage to rocket motor test facility.
SwRI Engineering Dynamics Department staff members analyze the explosive effects of bare and cased charges including structural breakup, debris throw, air blast, and scaling.
Accidental explosions and deliberate bombings by criminals and terrorists cause extensive structural and property damage, personal injury, and loss of life. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) provides practical solutions to problems associated with:
- Blast effects
- Fragmentation
- Penetration
- Protection
Our Engineering Dynamics Department offers a unique blend of experimental, analytical, and numerical expertise that permits a multifaceted approach to solving safety problems.
Explosion Hazards Evaluation Capabilities
- Fundamentals of explosions
- Software development
- Loading from blast waves and fragment impact
- Structural response
- Debris dispersion
- Blast-resistant design
- Human injury prediction
- Safety and hazards analyses
Explosion Hazards Evaluation Experience
- Code development for security evaluation
- Car bomb source prediction
- Short course development and instruction
- Hazards evaluation of high-explosives (HE) facilities
- Shaped charge development
- Explosion Hazards Evaluation Facilities
- Ballistics and explosives test range
- Remote test sites
- Testing up to 1,000 lbs HE
Ballistics and Explosives Range
SwRI operates and maintains the Ballistics and Explosives Range on the San Antonio campus. This 10-acre facility permits a wide variety of experimental programs to be conducted, including:
- Explosive loading
- Hazards evaluation and mitigation
- Foreign object damage
- Ballistic impact
- Armor testing
- Hypervelocity impact
SwRI technicians provide expert support for handling explosives, firing gas and powder guns, and collecting high-rate electronic data. A complement of equipment, including an on-site machine shop, digital data acquisition and transient recorders, high-speed imaging equipment, and data processors, supports range activities.
Related Terminology
explosion hazards evaluation • explosives • blast waves • fragment impact • blast resistance • hazards evaluation • terrorist bombing • shaped charge • ballistics testing • safety • security • code development • finite element analysis • injury prediction • hydrocode simulation • homeland security
