Pulse pressure testing of 1/4 scale blast wall panels with connections

A study was carried out at the University of Liverpool on the response of a panel/connection of a 1/4 scale stainless steel blast wall under pulse pressure loading. The aim of the work was to investigate the influence of the connection detail on the overall performance of the panel/connection system under pulse pressure loading and to develop appropriate analytical and numerical model of the blast wall/connection system for correlation with the test results. This is the first time that a detailed experimental study of the behaviour of blast walls made from profiled stainless steel sheet has considered the modes of failure and end effects of the support construction. This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. An extensive programme of experimental work has been carried out on ¼ scale stainless steel blast wall panels with connections subjected to pulse pressure loading to determine their various modes of failure and blast resistance beyond the design limit. The panel design was based on the deep trough trapezoidal profile with welded angle connections top and bottom and free sides. A series of laboratory tests were carried out at the University of Liverpool Impact Research Centre on a panel of a ¼ scale stainless steel blast wall and on various panel/connection systems. The loading applied to the test panel was a triangular pulse pressure representative of a gas explosion overpressure. This project was sponsored by EPSRC, Mobil North Sea Ltd and HSE (Offshore Division) with technical support from Mech-Tool Engineering Ltd who designed and manufactured the test panels. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of the connection detail on the overall performance of the panel/connection system under pulse pressure loading and to develop appropriate analytical and numerical models of the panel/connection system for correlation with the test results. The work has shown that the connection detail can significantly influence the response of the panel to extreme pressure loading. Large permanent plastic deformations were produced in the panel/connection system without rupture. Independent …