The Response of Composite Plates to Underwater Blast

Laboratory-scale fluid-structure interaction (FSI) experiments are performed in order to examine the response of submerged, clamped composite plates to dynamic loading by underwater shock waves. Experiments are conducted in a recently developed transparent shock tube [1] and allow measurements of deflection history and cavitation processes. Analytical models are implemented for the underwater blast response of orthotropic composite plates and analytical predictions are compared to those of explicit finite element (FE) simulations and to experimental evidence.