Scale Modeling

SRI's Poulter Laboratory investigates damage to a wide variety of structures produced by explosions. Many of the full structures of interest are too costly or inaccessible to test or are concepts that have not yet been fabricated. Therefore, for several decades we have devoted extensive effort in designing, fabricating, testing, and evaluating tests of scale model structures. Scale modeling techniques based on well-established scaling laws and our extensive experience have made scale model-testing a cost-effective approach to otherwise unsolvable problems.

Airblast tests of scale model reinforced concretewalls
using a shock tube at area 3

Surf zone obstacles

automobiles in a crash

Runaway nuclear reactors