Novel Composite Materials & Structures for Blast
Mitigation: Arun Shukla, URI
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Dynamic
PhotoMechanics
Laboratory
Purpose/ Relevance: Conduct fundamental experiments to elucidate physical mechanisms
responsible for damage in novel composite materials & structures subjected to extreme
environments associated with blast & fragment loading, thus leading to new more efficient
materials & structures.
Innovation: Highly controlled experiments with real time measurements at extremely high
loading rates to give full field load-deformation & damage information at materials &
structural level. DPML team at URI has unique capabilities and long experience for such
experimentation.
This Year outcome: (a); A comprehensive series of experiments were conducted under
controlled blast loading conditions using the shock tube facility to understand damage
mechanisms in structural glass panels. A new type of glass panel was designed which
restraints the shattered pieces of glass from flying off and causing damage and injuries (b);
Numerical expressions were developed to understand the energy redistribution associated
with shock loading (c); Experiments on the effect of curvature on blast mitigation in
metallic panels were initiated.
Long-range impact:. Design of new multi-functional materials and structures with excellent
blast mitigation capabilities to safeguard human life and property.
Next Year: The work on understanding the effect of curvature on blast mitigation properties
of a structure will be continued with metals and then extended to composites. Efforts will also
be made to further understand performance of sandwich glass composites.
Novel Composite Materials & Structures for Blast
Mitigation: Publications
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Dynamic
PhotoMechanics
Laboratory
E. Wang, N Gardner and A. Shukla, “The blast resistance of sandwich composites with stepwise graded cores”,
International Journal of Solid and Structures, 46, 3492-3502, 2009.
E. Wang and A. Shukla, “Analytical and Experimental Evaluation of Energies during Shock Wave Loading”,
International Journal of Impact Engineering, 37, 1188-1196, 2010.
M. Jackson and A. Shukla, “Performance of sandwich composites subjected to sequential impact and air blast loading”,
Composites: Part B (2010), doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2010.09.005.
E. Wang, N. Gardner and A. Shukla, “Experimental study on the performance of sandwich composites with stepwise
graded cores subjected to a shock wave loading”, SEM Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied
Mechanics, Albuquerque, New Mexico , June 1-4, 2009.
N. Gardner, “Blast performance of sandwich composites with discretely layered core”, SEM Annual Conference and
Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics, Student Paper Competition, Albuquerque, New Mexico , June 1-4,
2009.
S.A. Tekalur, E. Wang, M. Jackson and A. Shukla, “Failure Behavior and energy absorption of sandwich composites
under dynamic loading”, SEM Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics,
Albuquerque, New Mexico , June 1-4, 2009.
E. Wang and A. Shukla, “Evaluation of Incident, Reflected and Deformation Energies During Blast Experiments”, SEM
Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics, Albuquerque, New Mexico, June 1-4, 2009.
N. Gardner and A. Shukla, “The Blast Response of Sandwich Composites with a Functionally Graded Core”, SEM
Annual Conference and Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana, June 7-10, 2010.
N. Gardner and A. Shukla, “The Blast Response of Sandwich Composites With a Functionally Graded Core and Polyurea
Interlayer”, SEM Annual Conference and Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana, June 7-10, 2010.
E. Wang and A. Shukla, “The Blast Response of Sandwich Composites with In-Plane Pre-Loading”. SEM Annual
Conference and Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana, June 7-10, 2010.
P. Kumar and A. Shukla, “Blast Loading response of Glass Panels”, SEM Annual Conference and Exposition,
Indianapolis, Indiana, June 7-10, 2010.
E. Wang and A. Shukla, “Core Deformation of Sandwich Composites under Blast Loading”, SEM Annual Conference
and Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana, June 7-10, 2010.
Publications, Students Supported and Industry
Collaborations
Dynamic
PhotoMechanics
Laboratory
 E. Wang and A. Shukla, “Blast Response of Sandwich Composites using Digital Image Correlation Technique”, 9th
International Conference on Sandwich Structures (ICSS9), Caltech, Pasadena, California, June 14 - 16, 2010.
 E. Wang and A. Shukla, “Performance of Pre-Stressed Sandwich Composites Subjected to Shock Wave Loading”, 14th
International Conference on Experimental Mechanics (ICEM 14), Poitiers, FRANCE July 4-9, 2010.
 P. Kumar and A. Shukla, “Dynamic Response of Glass Panels Subjected to Shock Loading”, IMPLAST 2010, SEM Fall
Conference, Providence, October 12-14, 2010.
 E. Wang and A. Shukla, “Energy and Impulse Evaluation during a Shock Tube Experiment”, IMPLAST 2010, SEM Fall
Conference, Providence, October 12-14, 2010.
 N. Gardner and A. Shukla, “The Blast Resistance of Sandwich Composites with a Functionally Graded Core and
Polyurea Interlayer”, IMPLAST 2010, SEM Fall Conference, Providence, October 12-14, 2010.
 Four Papers are being submitted for the upcoming 2011 SEM Conference and 3 Papers are under preparation for Journal
publication.
Graduate Students Supported
1. Puneet Kumar
2. Matthew Jackson
3. Erheng Wang
4. Jefferson Wright
Undergraduate Students Supported
1. Daniel Gracia
2. Alexander Escher
3. Andrew Krystnewicz
Consulting with industry
1. 3 Tex, 109 Mackenan Dr., Cary, NC 27511
2. XO-Armor, 7812 Melrose Street, Houston, TX 77022
3. Webcore, 8821 Washington Church Road,
Miamisburg, OH 45342
4. TPI Composites, Inc., 373 Market Street, Warren, RI
02885
Novel Composite Materials & Structures for Blast
Mitigation: Experimental Methods
Shock Tube Facility
(at URI)
Driver Section
Dynamic
PhotoMechanics
Laboratory
Driven Section
Sandwich Composite
Specimen
Shock Tube
3D DIC System
with High Speed
Cameras
Diaphragm
2D DIC System
with High Speed
Camera
DIC System(at URI)
Strain at 600 microseconds
Deflection at 600 microseconds