Full Scale Arena Blast Testing

HTL has a premier full-scale arena blast site, located 40 miles south of Lubbock, Texas, and offers structural response testing of windows, doors, wall panes and any other building products requiring blast testing.

Open-air explosion testing is considered, by most industry experts, as the most authentic representation of blast events available to the industry, unlike shock tube testing which lacks actual blast wave representation.  Since we only use high explosives, our blast wave provides an actual explosive shock wave, including the positive phase rise time and negative air blast pressure.

Price typically influences the decision to test with full-scale arena or shock tubes. Shock tube testing has historically been less expensive than arena testing.  Through HTL’s innovative Blast Co-op program, we can offer clients arena testing for approximately the same cost with superior blast representation.

HTL’s full-scale arena blast site currently utilizes four (4) single span blast reaction chambers with an opening of 20' (w) x 12' (h) x 10' (d) and one (1) twin span blast reaction with a mid-span anchor with an opening of 20' (w) x 26' (h) x 10' (d).  HTL also constructs and designs blast reaction chambers for any specimen or special project you may have.

Our test capabilities include air blast pressures up to 50 psi, in accordance with ASTM F1642, GSA-TS01-2003 and the UFC 4-010-01.  We also use a high-speed camera capable of 10,000 frames per second and a high-speed data acquisition system to measure reflected and free-field air blast pressures.

We allow our clients to test multiple products at once.  For instance, utilizing our four single span blast reaction chambers, you can test up to 16 windows for a single blast.  Conducting this many specimens in a single test typically is more cost effective than a typical shock tube test. 

For more information on blast testing, including testing quotes contact Steven Samuels, P.E.  at 806.797.2208.