SwRI: Explosion Hazards Evaluation. SwRI practical solutions to blast effects, fragmentation, penetration, and protection

  image of Terrorist bomb damage to Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Oklahoma City
 

Terrorist bomb damage to Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Oklahoma City.

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

The SwRI Engineering Dynamics Department offers a unique blend of experimental, analytical, and numerical expertise that permits a multifaceted approach to solving safety problems.

  image of post-accident debris and damage to rocket motor test facility
 

Post-accident debris and damage to rocket motor test facility.


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

  image illustrating that SwRI Engineering Dynamics Department staff members analyze the explosive effects of bare and cased charges including structural breakup, debris throw, air blast, and scaling
 

SwRI Engineering Dynamics Department staff members analyze the explosive effects of bare and cased charges including structural breakup, debris throw, air blast, and scaling.

  • 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.


For more information about explosion hazards capabilities at SwRI or how you can contract with SwRI, please contact Scott A. Mullin at smullin@swri.org or (210) 522-2340.

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Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®) is an independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 12 technical divisions using multidisciplinary approaches to problem solving. The Institute occupies more than 1,200 acres and provides nearly two million square feet of laboratories, test facilities, workshops, and offices for more than 3,300 employees who perform contract work for industry and government clients.