Effect of Low Loading Density on Blast Propagation from Earth Covered Magazines

Abstract : This report contains the results from a series of high explosive tests designed to determine the airblast parameters propagating to the front, side, and rear of an earth covered munition storage magazine with a low loading density. The tests were conducted with 1/30th-scale donor models and hemi- cylindrical pentolite charges of 0.227, 0.363, 1.088, 1.814, and 5.040 kg masses. These charge masses simulate full size munition storage magazines filled with 6130, 9800, 29370, 48980, and 136080 kg of explosive. The 48980 kg full size load was used as the baseline for comparing blast attenuation or enhancement from a full size load of 6130 kg. There was attenuation of both peak overpressure and impulse to the side and rear of the structure at the lower loading density. The impulse propagating to the front of the structure was enhanced while the peak overpressure showed no significant effect of the low loading density.