Blast mitigation with fluid Containers: Effect of mitigant type

The effect of filled external containers on the deformation induced in a steel plate under near-field blast loading has been investigated through a combined numerical and experimental study. Six different fill materials (mitigants) were considered for inducing near-field blast mitigation. The mitigants evaluated were bulk water, aerated water, sand, expanded polystyrene (EPS), a combination of EPS and water, and shear thickening fluid. The performance of the mitigants depended on their mass, with sand providing the best mitigation and EPS the worst for a given volume. Bulk water provided the greatest reduction of the peak deformation per unit of added mass. The mitigant material also had a significant effect on the deformation-time history of the steel plate. The sand and ½ EPS + ½ water containers were found to significantly delay the arrival of the pressure wave at the target surface due to their compressibility and low sound speed. Numerical analysis reveals that different mechanisms induce blast mitigation, and these are identified for each of the different mitigant materials.