Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

AN ATTEMPT TO ISOLATE THE BLAST PHENOMENA WHICH CONTRIBUTE MOST TO THE EARTH-WALL FAILURE OF EXCAVATIONS. Technical Report No. 1717

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4161845
A 100-ton high-explosive test is described. The objectives were: to obtain an insight into the blast phenomena which contribute most to the failure of earth walls of excavations and to determine the vulnerability of the two-man foxhole to blast considering the soil type existing at the Canadian test site. To accomplish these objectives, l1 test excavations were exposed to the blast at overpressure ranges of 15, 25, and 30 psi. Ramage to foxholes at the 15-psi overpressure level indicated that the incident blast wave and its reflections in the excavation are primarily responsible for earth-wall damage. Damage to foxholes at the 25-psi overpressure level indicated that air-induced ground shock may be an irnportant factor in earth-wall failure. In the soil existing at the Canadian test site, the standard two-man foxhole showed, qualitatively, a high resistance to collapse from peak overpressures ranging up to 30 psi. (auth)
Research Organization:
Army Engineer Research and Development Labs., Fort Belvoir, Va.
NSA Number:
NSA-18-000414
OSTI ID:
4161845
Report Number(s):
AD-288674
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English