Effectiveness of finite-element modelling of damage and injuries for explosions inside trains

Abstract

The rail-bound sector has become a preferred target of terrorist attacks because of its vulnerability, and the most frequent way to carry out these attacks has been the use of explosive devices. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of modelling detonation effects inside train carriages using explicit finite element techniques. The numerical simulations consider fluid-structure interaction phenomena and several parametric studies are conducted. Carriage damage and injuries to the passengers are examined. Displacements in the model of the carriage structure do not vary greatly for small changes of the charge size, its location, or by open doors. Changing charge size, the location of the detonation, and door setting, however, had significant impact on the risk of eardrum rupture and fatality. Comparison of the simulation and real life data demonstrate a good agreement between the real and calculated displacements of the carriage, whereas the risk of death and eardrum rupture is slightly higher in the calculations. The model presented can reproduce a reliable actual situation if more parameters that influence injuries of blast waves were considered.

Design of Blast-Loaded Glazing Windows and Facades: A Review of Essential Requirements towards Standardization

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Access Control Points: Reducing a Possible Blast Impact by Meandering

“…Concerning explosion-induced injuries, the risk due to the primary blast e ects on humans has already been precisely described by several authors [14]. However, this is not yet the case for secondary blast e ects that are related to the produced fragments either from the explosive charge or from the failure of structures that are propelled with high velocities striking the human body.…”

“…Using a PI diagram [14], it has been proven that the head impact is the dominant cause of death and its probit function can be de ned as …”

Research of a Problem of Terrorist Attacks in the Metro (Subway, U-Bahn, Underground, MRT, Rapid Transit, Metrorail)

“…Explosive devices are the most common method of carrying out terrorist attacks not only in metros but also on railways (Standberg 2013;Strandh 2017). An example of this is the terrorist attack committed on the morning of 11th March 2004, when ten explosions took place in four commuter trains in Madrid, Spain (Larcher et al 2015). This terrorist method is the most destructive compared to other methods such as armed assaults, subversive activities, or arson (O'Neill et al 2012).…”

“…This terrorist method is the most destructive compared to other methods such as armed assaults, subversive activities, or arson (O'Neill et al 2012). Bombs are relatively easy and cheap to construct, with detailed instructions on how to build various forms of explosives readily available online (Weimann 2004), and can injure enough people to overwhelm the security resources in many communities (DePalma et al 2005;Larcher et al 2015). Types of EDs employed in metros and the ways of introducing them are described in (Shvetsov et al 2017a).…”