e-BLAST simulator: final design, setup improvements and demonstration tests

The Electrical Blast Simulator (e-BLAST) activity involves the development of an apparatus capable of reproducing the effects of a blast pressure wave on large-size structural components (such as columns, walls, etc.) without the use of explosives but through the action of impacting masses. The work relates to the PROTECT project which deals with the protection and resilience of the built environment (critical buildings, transportation and energy infrastructure etc.) under catastrophic events such as blast and impacts. The e-BLAST facility has been conceived and designed with the expertise acquired in the previous project “Blast Simulation Technology Development”, supported through an Administrative Arrangement by DG HOME. Different from the prototype developed in that project, the e-BLAST exploits a recent technology that appears to be very promising in this particular research field. Specifically, three synchronous electrical linear motors have been adopted for accelerating the impacting masses. This choice has led to the development of a more efficient, versatile and low-cost facility. The report presents in detail the final apparatus design, its components and their assembly, and a series of preliminary tests carried out in the ELSA laboratory in order to assess the performance of the enhanced e-BLAST. Finally, a brief description of further developments and feasible large-scale structural tests, planned to be performed with the new apparatus, are discussed.