Study on damage effect of caisson wharves subjected to underwater explosion

This study aimed at investigating the destructive effect of explosion shock waves on caisson wharves in shallow water. First, underwater explosion tests were conducted on caisson wharves, full-size finite-element models of caisson wharf-water-explosive were established, and the accuracy of the models was verified by comparison. The destruction pattern and damage characteristics of the caisson wharf structure were then studied, and the effects of different explosion depths and different explosive quantities on the dynamic response of caisson wharves were analyzed. The results show that the destruction pattern of shock waves on the caisson wharf is manifested as plastic damage at the joint of the reinforced concrete (RC) box wall, shear destruction at the lower edge of the explosion loading wall, and integral displacement of the superstructure. When the scaled distance remains un-changed and the explosion depth and explosive quantity increase, the bottom reflection effect strengthens, turning the bending damage on the explosion loading wall into shear damage. By strengthening the performance of the RC box wall joints, explosion loading wall, and superstructure joints, and taking measures to reduce the reflection effect, the anti-explosion capacity of caisson wharves can be effectively improved.