Blast Response and Damage Assessment of Underground Structures

Underground structures such as transportation tunnels, utility conduits and subterranean caverns are increasingly recognised as critical components of civilian infrastructure and defence assets. When exposed to explosive loads—whether from accidental gas detonations, terrorist attacks or military ordnance—these structures exhibit complex dynamic behaviour governed by wave propagation through soil and rock, interactions between shock waves and structural linings, and the material response of concrete and surrounding geology. Key performance indicators include peak particle velocity at the lining, reflected pressures, lining deformation and the onset of cracking or spalling. Modern studies integrate high-fidelity numerical simulations with laboratory tests and full-scale trials to establish damage thresholds and validate predictive models. Contemporary design approaches draw on both traditional criteria—such as single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) analyses and peak particle velocity (PPV) limits—and emerging data-driven techniques. The overarching aim is to enhance resilience by informing blast-resistant design, optimising support systems and defining repair or reinforcement strategies for damaged linings. This field addresses global needs for safe underground transit, secure storage facilities and subterranean defence shelters, underpinned by advances in computational mechanics, material science and risk assessment methodologies.

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Blast Response and Damage Assessment of Underground Structures publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in blast response and damage assessment of underground structures across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Bleve (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion): A rapid phase transition of pressurised liquid that generates a powerful vapour cloud explosion, often occurring in tunnels transporting liquefied gases.

Peak Particle Velocity (PPV): The maximum instantaneous velocity of soil or rock particles induced by a blast, commonly used as an index for assessing potential structural damage.

Single-Degree-of-Freedom (SDOF) Model: A simplified analytical approach that represents a structure or component as a single mass-spring-damper system to estimate peak displacements and damage under blast loading.

Support Rotation: The angular displacement of tunnel support elements (e.g. steel ribs or lining segments) resulting from blast-induced deformation, used as a criterion for structural performance.

Cross-Sectional Shape: The geometric profile of a tunnel (circular, rectangular, horseshoe), which influences stress distribution and dynamic response under internal explosions.

References

1. Prediction of BLEVE-induced response of road tunnel using Transformer network with modified self-attention (SAMT). Engineering Structures (2024).
2. Deformation Characteristics and Damage Assessment of Prefabricated Frame Tunnels after Central and External Explosions. Sustainability (2022).
3. Effect of blast inside tunnel on surrounding soil mass, tunnel lining, and superstructure for varying shapes of tunnels. Underground Space (2021).