The Scope of Blast and Shock Biology and Problem Areas in Relating Physical and Biological Parameters*

Abstract

A few introductory remarks were followed by a brief discussion of the nature of hazards from air blast noting those due (a) directly to variations in pressure and (b) indirectly to the impact of penetrating " and nonpenetrating, blast-energized missiles and the consequences of whole body displacement due to blast-induced winds or ground shock. The need for developing biomedical criteria based -pon critical and measurable biological responses following exposure to significant and monitorable physical parameters was discussed in relation to hazards pqsessment. Also the multifaceted problem of tying up such information with blast-induced variations in the environmc'it thptZur free-field and under various conditions of exposure was noted and emphasized.

Understanding blast-induced neurotrauma: how far have we come?

“…The seminal works from 1950s to 1970s [ 6 , 8 , 10–13 ] posited that the severity of the injuries and the extent of damage caused by a blast wave depend on five main factors [ 14 ]: the peak of the initial positive-pressure wave (e.g., the overpressure ranges from 690 to 1724 kPa, e.g., 100–250 psi, is considered potentially lethal); the duration of overpressure; the density of the medium in which the explosion occurred (air or water); the distance from the incident blast wave, namely, the intensity of the blast overpressure declines with the cubed root of the distance from the explosion (e.g., a person 3 m/10 ft from an explosion is subjected to nine-times more overpressure than a person 6 m or 20 ft away); and the degree of the blast wave’s reflection, namely, in complex environments and confined spaces, the intensity of the blast wave can be augmented between two- and nine-times due to reflection from surrounding objects or walls (e.g., victims positioned between blast and a building often suffer from injuries two- to three-times more severe than a person in an open space). Although there are many discussions about other circumstances and elements that could influence the blast effects, the importance of the above mentioned factors remains irrefutable.…”

Pressure−impulse diagram method – a fundamental review

“…In early applications, the P-I diagrams derived from the analysis of blast damaged brick houses were applied for the assessment of small civil and industrial buildings (Jarrett). Further attempts to derive P-I diagrams for structures, humans and military targets using experimental, analytical and numerical methods were made in 1950's (Symonds, 1953;Hodge, 1956), 60's (Sperrazza, 1963;Johnson, 1967;Bowen et al, 1968;Richmond et al, 1968;White, 1968), 70's (Damon et al, 1970;Youngdahl, 1970;White et al, 1971;Baker, 1973;Westine and Baker, 1975;Westine and Cox, 1975;Abrahamson and Lindberg, 1976;BRL, 1976;Schumacher and Cummings, 1977;Baker et al, 1978) and 80's (Baker et al, 1983;Command, 1986;Zhu et al, 1986). Nowadays, the P-I diagram method is used for the assessment of the loading regime, the ultimate load and the post-loading condition of structures subjected to blast loads (Hodge, 1956;Abrahamson and Lindberg, 1976;Baker et al, 1978;Baker et al, 1983; Departments of the Army, 1990;TNO, 1992;USDE, 1992;Mays and Smith, 1995;CCPS, 1996;ASCE, 1997;Q.…”

“…Each curve in the P-I diagram describes a certain degree of structural damage and can also be used for assessment of structural safety and survivability. (Bowen et al, 1968;Richmond et al, 1968;White, 1968;Damon et al, 1970;White et al, 1971). This paper presents a fundamental review of the P-I diagram method used for the assessment of structures subjected to blast loads.…”

Sex as a Biological Variable in Preclinical Modeling of Blast-Related Traumatic Brain Injury

“…Modeling blast effects is a task. Over five decades ago, White (197) summarized the state of the science for understanding "shock and blast biology." He recognized the vast challenges of outlining the relevant physical and biological parameters for delineating the hazards to man.…”

“…Modeling blast effects is a task. Over five decades ago, White ( 197 ) summarized the state of the science for understanding “shock and blast biology.” He recognized the vast challenges of outlining the relevant physical and biological parameters for delineating the hazards to man. White emphasized the need for closer collaboration especially between physicists and biologists—although he makes note of critical additional collaboration with engineers, architects, and physicians—for each expert to bring their discipline to bear on this problem.…”