Test of a modular munitions magazine as acceptor in a 5 tonne mass explosion

The UK and Australia organised the Defence Trial ADF 845/03 with 5000 kg of bare explosives in Woomera, South Australia in 2004. Germany (the BWB, German Bureau for Military Technology and Procurement) and The Netherlands (TNO Prins Maurits Laboratory) participated in this trial with acceptor magazines. Two prefabricated reinforced concrete ammunition magazines were placed at 17 m and 30 m from ground zero of the first explosion. The magazine that was placed at 30 m suffered little damage in the first explosion and was moved to a new location, 21 m from ground zero of the second explosion.
The modular magazines are a German development for the storage of ammunition in out-of-area operations. They are intended to be manufactured locally and be earth-covered. The experiments with the concrete magazines are intended for provide information for several
problems. Both nations share an interest in the spall behaviour of the magazines. Germany is primarily interested in the spall that occurs when the wall deforms, but not collapses, as in an earth covered magazine. The Netherlands is interested in the spall behaviour of existing magazines in the Netherlands. These are positioned at an inter-magazine distance of 0.8 m/kg1/3, and are expected to collapse, producing large pieces of debris at relatively low velocity. The German prefab magazines can serve as a model for these.
The paper describes the magazines, the test set-up and the results. In the magazines at 21 and 30 m distance spall was minimal and certainly not hazardous to munitions. The wall of the magazine at 17 m was breached and debris with sizes reaching from aggregate to 1 m2 was thrown into the magazine. Analysis suggests that it could be hazardous to the most sensitive class of munitions.