Blast mitigation effects of TPU polymers-based inflated membrane structures under external explosion

TPU polymers-based inflated membrane structures are a potential technology to protect pre-existing lightweight buildings, with the advantages of lightweight and simple building process. In this study, a series of field blast tests were performed for the structural response and blast load parameters to study the blast mitigation effect of the inflated membrane structures. The corresponding numerical models of the tests were then developed and validated to reproduce the fluid-structure interaction. Thin aluminum plates were used as the protected structure. Based on their maximum displacement, average plastic strain, depth of depression, and permanent deformation, damage factor was defined to evaluate their damage level. Both the experimental and numerical results show that inflated membrane structures can effectively mitigate blast loading and significantly reduce the permanent displacement of the aluminum plate by elastic compression deformation. The effects of the initial height and internal pressure of inflated membrane structures on the blast mitigation effectiveness were clarified by the parametric study. The overpressure-impulse equivalent damage curves were established by combining the damage factor and overpressure-impulse loads, which further confirmed the blast mitigation performance of inflated membrane structures. Our study has verified the blast mitigation effects of inflated membrane structures based on TPU polymers, which is potentially valuable in the field of protective engineering for lightweight construction.