A study of pressure characteristics of methane explosion in a 20 m buried tunnel and influence on structural behaviour of concrete elements

Meng, Q; Wu, C; Li, J; Wu, P; Xu, S; Wang, Z

A study of pressure characteristics of methane explosion in a 20 m buried tunnel and influence on structural behaviour of concrete elements

Meng, Q Wu, C

Li, J

Wu, P Xu, S Wang, Z

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Publisher:: Elsevier
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Engineering Failure Analysis, 2021, 122, pp. 1-16
Issue Date:: 2021-04-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Meng, Q
dc.contributor.author	Wu, C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6786-7934
dc.contributor.author	Li, J https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2457-1994
dc.contributor.author	Wu, P
dc.contributor.author	Xu, S
dc.contributor.author	Wang, Z
dc.date.accessioned	2022-03-07T02:55:49Z
dc.date.available	2022-03-07T02:55:49Z
dc.date.issued	2021-04-01
dc.identifier.citation	Engineering Failure Analysis, 2021, 122, pp. 1-16
dc.identifier.issn	1350-6307
dc.identifier.issn	1873-1961
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/155004
dc.description.abstract	With increasing use of natural gas in urban metropolitan areas, utility tunnels that contain utility and gas lines have become critical infrastructure. A leak within a gas pipe may cause methane-air explosions in the tunnel, leading to structural damage and casualties. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the response of structural members against explosion loads in the tunnel. Few studies in the open literature have studied the effects of a methane-air explosion in a full-scale concrete tunnel. This study presents two 9.5% methane-air explosions in a tunnel with a dimension of 20000 mm × 1800 mm × 600 mm. The pressure characteristics are summarized and compared with existing pressure–time curve of the methane-air explosion in typical vented containers. Similarities of pressure characteristics between the current study and previous studies avaliable from the literature are identified. Apart from explosion pressure characteristics, concrete structural specimens with a dimension of 1800 mm × 400 mm × 90 mm are also investigated. Geopolymer concrete, ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) and conventional concrete with compressive strength of approximately 70 MPa, 150 MPa and 30 MPa, respectively, were used to manufacture the testing specimens subjected to the methane-air explosions in the tunnel. In this study, the cracks were observed on all specimens. Due to large size of the tunnel and gas leakage during blast, the pressure distribution in the tunnel is not as uniform as observed in methane-air explosion chamber from the previous literatures. The conventional concrete specimen positioned between two pressure sensors is selected to validate the numerical model in the present study. The calibrated numerical model is then used to study the structural responses of concrete specimen subjected to the captured pressure.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	Elsevier
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP210101100
dc.relation	National Natural Science Foundation of China51978186
dc.relation.ispartof	Engineering Failure Analysis
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.engfailanal.2021.105273
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	0905 Civil Engineering, 0912 Materials Engineering, 0913 Mechanical Engineering
dc.subject.classification	Mechanical Engineering & Transports
dc.title	A study of pressure characteristics of methane explosion in a 20 m buried tunnel and influence on structural behaviour of concrete elements
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	122
utslib.for	0905 Civil Engineering
utslib.for	0912 Materials Engineering
utslib.for	0913 Mechanical Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CBI - Centre for Built Infrastructure
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-03-07T02:55:41Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	122

Abstract:

With increasing use of natural gas in urban metropolitan areas, utility tunnels that contain utility and gas lines have become critical infrastructure. A leak within a gas pipe may cause methane-air explosions in the tunnel, leading to structural damage and casualties. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the response of structural members against explosion loads in the tunnel. Few studies in the open literature have studied the effects of a methane-air explosion in a full-scale concrete tunnel. This study presents two 9.5% methane-air explosions in a tunnel with a dimension of 20000 mm × 1800 mm × 600 mm. The pressure characteristics are summarized and compared with existing pressure–time curve of the methane-air explosion in typical vented containers. Similarities of pressure characteristics between the current study and previous studies avaliable from the literature are identified. Apart from explosion pressure characteristics, concrete structural specimens with a dimension of 1800 mm × 400 mm × 90 mm are also investigated. Geopolymer concrete, ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) and conventional concrete with compressive strength of approximately 70 MPa, 150 MPa and 30 MPa, respectively, were used to manufacture the testing specimens subjected to the methane-air explosions in the tunnel. In this study, the cracks were observed on all specimens. Due to large size of the tunnel and gas leakage during blast, the pressure distribution in the tunnel is not as uniform as observed in methane-air explosion chamber from the previous literatures. The conventional concrete specimen positioned between two pressure sensors is selected to validate the numerical model in the present study. The calibrated numerical model is then used to study the structural responses of concrete specimen subjected to the captured pressure.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/155004