An experimental study on propagation of blast waves in urban buildings

The propagation of blast waves in urban buildings is influenced by architectural configurations, as the blast waves undergo complex reflection and diffraction phenomena on building surfaces, rendering empirical formulas inadequate for estimating surface loads. To investigate the propagation characteristics of near-field blast waves in urban buildings, an experimental study was conducted. Initially, a scaled test platform was established in a laboratory environment to measure blast wave loading within building clusters. Pressure sensors were employed to obtain pressure-time curves at multiple locations, including building surfaces and the ground gauges, under representative building configurations. Key characteristic parameters were acquired, including shock wave arrival time, positive duration time, peak pressure, and positive impulse. The distribution patterns of these parameters were systematically analyzed across various building surfaces and ground gauges, followed by quantitative comparisons with empirical formulas. Experimental results indicate that urban buildings exert significant attenuation and obstruction effects on blast wave propagation. The degree of parameter attenuation correlates not only with scaled distance but also with specific measurement locations and architectural arrangement patterns. The research results can provide guidance for the rapid assessment of the distribution of blast loads in urban buildings.