Application of blast tests causes some problems to characterize the performance of panels due to the drastic conditions of explosive medium. Real test has high safety concerns and is not easily accessible because of its extra budget. Some approaches are needed for the preliminary predictions of dynamic characteristics of panels under blast loading conditions. In this study, the response of sandwiches under blast effect was evaluated by combining quasi-static experiments and computational blast test data. The primary aim is to relate the quasi-static panel analysis to dynamic blast load. Based on this idea, lightweight sandwich composites were subjected to quasi-static compression loading with a special test apparatus and the samples were assumed as single degree-of-freedom mass-spring systems to include dynamic effect. This approach provides a simpler way to simulate the blast loading over the surface of the panels and reveals the possible failure mechanisms without applying any explosives. Therefore the design of the panels can be revised by considering quasi-static test results. In this work, the peak deflections and survivabilities of sandwiches for various explosive weights were predicted based on the formulations reported in the literature. Major failure types were also identified and evaluated with respect to their thicknesses.

No abstract

The dynamic compression deformation of an in‐house cast concrete (average aggregate size of 2–2.5 mm) was modelled using the finite element (FE), element‐free Galerkin (EFG) and smooth particle Galerkin (SPG) methods to determine their capabilities of capturing the dynamic deformation. The numerical results were validated with those of the experimental split Hopkinson pressure bar tests. Both EFG and FE methods overestimated the failure stress and strain values, while the SPG method underestimated the peak stress. SPG showed similar load capacity profile with the experiment. At initial stages of the loading, all methods present similar behaviour. Nonetheless, as the loading continues, the SPG method predicts closer agreement of deformation profile and force histories. The increase in strength at high strain rate was due to both the rate sensitivity and lateral inertia caused by the confinement effect. The inertia effect of the material especially is effective at lower strain values and the strain rate sensitivity of the concrete becomes significant at higher strain values.