EXTERNAL PUBLICATIONS

SUMMARY

This project has investigated the response of shallow corrugated firewalls using an explicit finite element analysis package in order to enhance our ability to determine containment pressures and the limits of existing barrier designs. The work has also focussed on validating numerical models against full-scale tests carried out during the early nineties and highlighting the uncertainties in the numerical analysis. These uncertainties are likely to increase at high overpressures which may produce large deformations, plasticity, possible weld tearing at connections and contact with adjacent equipment and structure. States that further work is needed to address these issues.

This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy