Experimental and numerical research on deformation of square plates with circular holes under blast load

The response and failure of plates under blast loads are critical concerns in engineering. Plates with preformed holes may exhibit significantly different behaviors compared to those without holes, and detailed research on this topic remains limited. In this study, the deformation of square plates with circular holes subjected to blast loads was investigated through experiment and simulation methods. Square plates with circular holes were designed with three hole positions and two hole diameters. Far-field explosion experiments measured the displacement fields of the plates and the overpressure on the plate frame. Subsequently, LS-Dyna simulation models were established using a two-dimensional model to three-dimensional model mapping, with numerical results aligning with experimental results. Additional numerical calculations with larger charge mass supplemented the experimental cases, analyzing the influence of holes on plate response. It was found that the presence of a hole influenced the displacement field, with notable local effects such as significantly increased displacement near the hole. The presence of a hole can shift the position of maximum equivalent plastic strain from the plate edge to the hole edge. The influence of the size and position of a hole on the deformation and equivalent plastic strain were discussed.