Time-resolved measurement of the deformation of submerged cylinders subjected to loading from a nearby explosion

The general features of an isolated underwater explosion have been extensively studied and are considered to be reasonably well understood. However, our understanding of the interaction which ensues when an explosion occurs in the immediate vicinity of a floating or submerged structure is considerably less well developed. We describe the application of small-scale experiments incorporating cylindrical steel targets instrumented with accelerometers and underwater pressure transducers to investigate this question. Acceleration records clearly show the response of the targets to loading from the separate shock wave and bubble collapse events. Interpretation of this data demonstrates the dominance of bubble collapse loading for underwater explosions in close proximity to a submerged structure.