title: Blast Quantification Using Hopkinson Pressure Bars.
abstract: Near-field blast load measurement presents an issue to many sensor types as they must endure very aggressive environments and be able to measure pressures up to many hundreds of megapascals. In this respect the simplicity of the Hopkinson pressure bar has a major advantage in that while the measurement end of the Hopkinson bar can endure and be exposed to harsh conditions, the strain gauge mounted to the bar can be affixed some distance away. This allows protective housings to be utilized which protect the strain gauge but do not interfere with the measurement acquisition. The use of an array of pressure bars allows the pressure-time histories at discrete known points to be measured. This article also describes the interpolation routine used to derive pressure-time histories at un-instrumented locations on the plane of interest. Currently the technique has been used to measure loading from high explosives in free air and buried shallowly in various soils.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield; sam.clarke@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Samuel D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield; Blastech Ltd.
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Fay
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield.
authors.forename: Samuel E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rigby
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield; Blastech Ltd.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tyas
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield; Blastech Ltd.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.affiliation: Blastech Ltd.
authors.forename: Jonathan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Reay
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.affiliation: Blast and IED Protection, Physical Sciences Department, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).
authors.forename: Matthew T A
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Gant
authors.affiliation: Blast and IED Protection, Physical Sciences Department, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).
authors.forename: Ian D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Elgy
mesh_terms: D011312:Pressure