Time-resolved measurement of the deformation of submerged cylinders subjected to loading from a nearby explosion

The general features of an isolated underwater explosion have been extensiv ely studied and are considered to be reasonably well understood. However, o ur understanding of the interaction which ensues when an explosion occurs i n the immediate vicinity of a floating or submerged structure is considerab ly less well developed. We describe the application of small-scale experime nts incorporating cylindrical steel targets instrumented with accelerometer s and underwater pressure transducers to investigate this question. Acceler ation records clearly show the response of the targets to loading from the separate shock wave and bubble collapse events. Interpretation of this data demonstrates the dominance of bubble collapse loading for underwater explo sions in close proximity to a submerged structure. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scienc e Ltd. All rights reserved.