Dynamic response of road tunnel subjected to internal Boiling liquid expansion vapour explosion (BLEVE)

During service life, road tunnels may face threats of accidental explosions, e.g., Boiling Liquid Expansion Vapour Explosions (BLEVEs) due to accidents of vehicles transporting hazardous goods inside the tunnels. However, very limited study has investigated the influence of BLEVEs inside a tunnel on...

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Main Authors: Cheng, R., Chen, Wensu, Hao, Hong, Li, J.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL180100196
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/91666
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author Cheng, R.
Chen, Wensu
Hao, Hong
Li, J.
author_facet Cheng, R.
Chen, Wensu
Hao, Hong
Li, J.
author_sort Cheng, R.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description During service life, road tunnels may face threats of accidental explosions, e.g., Boiling Liquid Expansion Vapour Explosions (BLEVEs) due to accidents of vehicles transporting hazardous goods inside the tunnels. However, very limited study has investigated the influence of BLEVEs inside a tunnel on its dynamic response. The present study numerically investigates the dynamic response of an arched tunnel subjected to an internal BLEVE by using the software LS-DYNA. The BLEVE load is directly simulated by using commercial code FLACS or approximated by the commonly used TNT equivalency method to investigate the influences of loading predictions on the tunnel responses. The results show that the corner and upper arc of arched lining are more prone to be damaged under the directly predicted BLEVE loads. Compared to the directly predicted BLEVE loads, explosion loads estimated by the TNT equivalency method induce more significant damage to the lining due to its higher peak pressure, but smaller peak displacements since the corresponding impulse is lower than that of the BLEVE load. In addition, parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effects of concrete grade, concrete thickness, steel reinforcement ratio, and stiffness of surrounding rock mass on dynamic response of the arched tunnel subjected to the internal BLEVE. It is found that increasing concrete grade and thickness and enhancing the stiffness of surrounding rock mass are more effective than increasing steel reinforcement ratio in improving the performance of the arched tunnel against internal BLEVE loadings.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-916662024-04-22T00:57:34Z Dynamic response of road tunnel subjected to internal Boiling liquid expansion vapour explosion (BLEVE) Cheng, R. Chen, Wensu Hao, Hong Li, J. Science & Technology Technology Construction & Building Technology Engineering, Civil Engineering Tunnel Boiling Liquid Expansion Vapour Explosion (BLEVE) Structural response Numerical study BLAST CONCRETE DAMAGE OVERPRESSURE PREDICTIONS WAVE During service life, road tunnels may face threats of accidental explosions, e.g., Boiling Liquid Expansion Vapour Explosions (BLEVEs) due to accidents of vehicles transporting hazardous goods inside the tunnels. However, very limited study has investigated the influence of BLEVEs inside a tunnel on its dynamic response. The present study numerically investigates the dynamic response of an arched tunnel subjected to an internal BLEVE by using the software LS-DYNA. The BLEVE load is directly simulated by using commercial code FLACS or approximated by the commonly used TNT equivalency method to investigate the influences of loading predictions on the tunnel responses. The results show that the corner and upper arc of arched lining are more prone to be damaged under the directly predicted BLEVE loads. Compared to the directly predicted BLEVE loads, explosion loads estimated by the TNT equivalency method induce more significant damage to the lining due to its higher peak pressure, but smaller peak displacements since the corresponding impulse is lower than that of the BLEVE load. In addition, parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effects of concrete grade, concrete thickness, steel reinforcement ratio, and stiffness of surrounding rock mass on dynamic response of the arched tunnel subjected to the internal BLEVE. It is found that increasing concrete grade and thickness and enhancing the stiffness of surrounding rock mass are more effective than increasing steel reinforcement ratio in improving the performance of the arched tunnel against internal BLEVE loadings. 2022 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/91666 10.1016/j.tust.2022.104363 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL180100196 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD fulltext
spellingShingle Science & Technology
Technology
Construction & Building Technology
Engineering, Civil
Engineering
Tunnel
Boiling Liquid Expansion Vapour Explosion
(BLEVE)
Structural response
Numerical study
BLAST
CONCRETE
DAMAGE
OVERPRESSURE
PREDICTIONS
WAVE
Cheng, R.
Chen, Wensu
Hao, Hong
Li, J.
Dynamic response of road tunnel subjected to internal Boiling liquid expansion vapour explosion (BLEVE)
title Dynamic response of road tunnel subjected to internal Boiling liquid expansion vapour explosion (BLEVE)
title_full Dynamic response of road tunnel subjected to internal Boiling liquid expansion vapour explosion (BLEVE)
title_fullStr Dynamic response of road tunnel subjected to internal Boiling liquid expansion vapour explosion (BLEVE)
title_full_unstemmed Dynamic response of road tunnel subjected to internal Boiling liquid expansion vapour explosion (BLEVE)
title_short Dynamic response of road tunnel subjected to internal Boiling liquid expansion vapour explosion (BLEVE)
title_sort dynamic response of road tunnel subjected to internal boiling liquid expansion vapour explosion (bleve)
topic Science & Technology
Technology
Construction & Building Technology
Engineering, Civil
Engineering
Tunnel
Boiling Liquid Expansion Vapour Explosion
(BLEVE)
Structural response
Numerical study
BLAST
CONCRETE
DAMAGE
OVERPRESSURE
PREDICTIONS
WAVE
url http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL180100196
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/91666