LS-DYNA® ALE Modeling of Blast in an Urban Environment

In LS-DYNA finite element analysis software, Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) approach can be applied to modeling dynamic loading due to explosives. The main advantage of this method is its good accuracy as it explicitly models the explosive and the pressure wave propagation through the media. However, this approach typically requires using very fine meshes in order to accurately model problems characterized by high peak pressures as mesh refinement in the close vicinity of the explosive can be crucial for obtaining accurate results. In this work, the effects of an air blast in an urban environment are examined using a simple geometric model of a street intersection configuration typical of a city business district. Accuracy and mesh sensitivity of the results in terms of the peak pressures at certain gauge points are investigated. The modeling approach is verified by comparing the numerical results from the finite element models to experimental data found in the literature.