Response of wood to the explosive loading

Abstract
The plates and beams made from the Oak, Beech, Pine, Spruce and Birch have been loaded by the detonation of an explosive in contact. The mechanical properties of these woods at dynamic loading have been evaluated by the use of Hopkinson Split Pressure Bar Test and Charpy Impact test. The minimum thickness of the wood at which no damage occurs has been evaluated. These thickness are in a reasonable agreement with the mechanical properties determined by the tests mentioned above. The same conclusion is valid for the experiments on the explosive loading of wood beams. The results of the preliminary numerical simulation of the used tests are also discussed. It seems that the observed wood specimens behaviour may be explained in terms of the Tsai - Wu strength model.