Materials and Structures for Threat Protection

Philosophy: Current systems for tactical vehicle protection against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have serious inadequacies. Research is being conducted at UCSB on new lightweight, volumetrically-efficient, concepts that substantially enhance both projectile impenetrability and blast resistance. Opportunities for progress exploit multilayered systems consisting of ultra-light, compressible cellular constituents integrated with high specific strength metallics, ceramics, ballistic fabrics and elastomers.

Research Themes: Ultralight Cellular Structures made of light metals and polymer matrix composites exhibiting high structural efficiency are being designed and fabricated. Blast Protection Concepts being developed exploit beneficial fluid-structure interactions to reduce the momentum imparted to the structure, minimizing the transmitted forces. Fragment Protection Concepts with novel multilayer designs, incorporating metals, ceramics, composites and elastomers, are being devised and tested. Dynamic Measurement capabilities are employed in assessing new concepts. Analysis and SimulationTools are utilized to characterize the mechanics and mechanisms of protection systems and their design.   Participants: At UCSB –F. Zok, R.M. McMeeking At MIT – R. Radovitzky At Harvard – J.W. Hutchinson At U Virginia – H.N.G. Wadley At Cambridge – N.A. Fleck   Select Publications   The response of metallic sandwich panels to water blast, Y. Liang, A. V. Spuskanyuk, S. E. Flores, D. R. Hayhurst, J. W. Hutchinson, R. M McMeeking, A. G. Evans, Journal of Applied Mechanics, 74 (2007) 81-99   Structural Performance of Near-Optimal Sandwich Panels with Corrugated Cores, L. Valdevit, Z. Wei, C. Mercer, F.W. Zok and A.G. Evans, International Journal of Solids and Structures, 43 (2006) 4888-4905   Performance of metallic honeycomb-core sandwich beams under shock loading, H. J. Rathun, D. D. Radford, Z. Xue, M. Y. He, J. Yang, V. Deshpande, N. A. Fleck, J. W. Hutchinson, F. W. Zok, A. G. Evans, International Journal of Solids and Structures, 43 (2006) 1746-1763   Strength optimization of metallic sandwich panels subject to bending, H. J. Rathbun, F. W. Zok, A. G. Evans, International Journal of Solids and Structures, 42 (2005) 6643-6661