Geosynthetics structures subject to blast load

Abstract

The geosynthetics Reinforced Soil (RS) structure is an innovative and efficient type of protective barrier to protect human beings and properties against blast effects for its cost effectiveness, ability to accommodate different site conditions and no secondary debris produced at failure.In this study, a total of eleven fully-instrumented RS walls were constructed and tested to the detonations of 5 ton to 27 ton equivalent TNT in Australia. Quality data was collected from field blast trials. The air blast loading and structure response were further modelled numerically using programs ConWep, AUTODYN and PLAXIS. Encouraging results were obtained from these numerical modelling.It was found that the stability of RS wall depends mainly on the scaled distance and relative height, and lesser on the properties of geotextile. Based on these results, a design chart was produced for the design of RS walls as protective barriers in military and civilian environments.