This research includes structural mechanics, design, analysis, dynamics and earthquake engineering, ground motion processing and simulation.

Blast damage and fragmentation prediction

More than 80 per cent of injuries in terrorist bombings and accident gas explosions are caused by blast debris.

Current practice in predicting blast fragmentation and debris size, velocity and launching distance is based mainly on field blasting tests, which may lead to erroneous predictions as realistic structural configurations and construction materials vary from one to another and differ from the testing structures.

Reliable predictions of blast debris are crucial for structure and human protection.

The Australian Research Council has funded two Discovery Projects to predict structural collapse and fragmentation.

Reliable dynamic material models and innovative numerical models have been developed to predict structural damage and fragmentation to blast loads. The blast pressure is predicted by the shock wave propagation and fluid dynamic theory, structural response and damage are modelled according to the theories of continuum damage mechanics and fracture mechanics.

The structural damage and fragmentation can be reliably predicted and used in blast resistant design for structural and occupant protection.