Operation Hardtack. Project 3. 2. Response of earth-confined flexible-arch structures in high-overpressure regions

Technical Report · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:7110389

LeDoux, J C; Rush, P J

The purpose of this project was to determine structural responses and failure criteria of earth-confined corrugated-steel flexible arches subjected to high overpressure blast loading from nuclear detonations. A flexible arch is considered as an arch structure whose ultimate supporting capacity is dependent upon confinement within a surrounding earth configuration. A collateral objective was to determine the radiation-shielding effectiveness of such structures with a minimum cover of five feet of coral sand. Because the soil and ground-water conditions at Eniwetok did not permit the placing of the steel arches below natural-grade level, the structures were confined within massive non-drag sensitive earthwork configurations of coral sand. Empirical determinations were made of the responses of (1) three earth-confined prefabricated corrugated-steel flexible arches when subjected to relatively long-duration blast loadings from a megaton range detonation; and (2) one similar earth-confined flexible-arch when subjected to relatively short-duration blast loadings from a kiloton-range detonation.

• Research Organization: Naval Civil Engineering Lab., Port Hueneme, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7110389
• Report Number(s): AD-A-995386/0/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450202* -- Explosions & Explosives-- Nuclear-- Weaponry-- (-1989)
BLAST EFFECTS
DETONATIONS
EXPLOSIONS
FALLOUT SHELTERS
GROUND WATER
HARDTACK PROJECT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SAND
SHELTERS
SHIELDING
WATER