A laboratory method to simulate seismic waves induced by underground explosions

Abstract

The seismic waves induced by underground explosions generate geological hazards affecting deep buried tunnels such as rockbursts and engineering-induced earthquakes. This issue is difficult to study through full-scale testing due to the expense and unpredictable danger. To solve this problem, the authors developed experimental apparatus and presented a laboratory method to simulate seismic waves induced by underground explosions. In this apparatus, a combined structure of a diffusive-shaped water capsule and a special-shaped oil capsule was designed. This structure can provide an applied confining stress and freely transmit the stress wave generated by external impact. Therefore, the coupled loading of in situ stress and seismic waves induced by underground explosions in the deep rock mass was simulated. The positive pressure time and peak value of the stress wave could be adjusted by changing the pulse-shaper and the initial impact energy. The obtained stress waves in the experiments correspond to that generated by 0.15–120 kt of TNT equivalent explosion at a scaled distance of 89.9–207.44 m/kt1/3.

Keywords

• Laboratory method
• Seismic wave
• Underground explosion
• Deep rock mass
• Coupled loading
• Experimental apparatus