Weapons Effects FRMs for Reinforced Concrete Walls & Floor/Ceiling Slabs

The Air Force Research Laboratory developed the MEVA software for weaponeering applications.  MEVA allows a weaponeer to quickly study alternative targeting scenarios to maximize the effectiveness of a mission while minimizing the risk to the warfighter and the potential for collateral damage.   MEVA needs to be upgraded to support targeting needs for structures with RC slabs and walls that fall outside the current specifications of its blast response modules.  The main areas of enhancement required are: Support for higher strength concrete materials Support for the full range of hardened and civil construction that is (or will be) supported by STMG Support for the expanded range of loading produced by new weapon systems available to the weaponeer such as the MOP Support for more complex representations of blast pressure waveforms resulting from internal propagation through complex structural geometries Addition of new response measures such as breach and fragment/debris data that increase MEVAs effectiveness to support mission planning. WAI proposes to demonstrate proof of concept methods to address each of these areas in Phase I and develop the new software tools and integrate them within the MEVA software in a follow-on Phase II effort. BENEFIT: WAI has successfully commercialized products produced by previous SBIR efforts including the PZFlex software for piezoelectric modeling applications which will generate $1,000,000 revenue in the year 2008. The primary market for the blast modules developed under this SBIR would primarily be other DoD organizations in the U.S.  For example, DTRA develops and maintains the IMEA software for offensive targeting needs. The new modules have direct application to IMEA and other similar software environments.  Additionally, HFPB modeling of HSC and UHSC structures is an increasingly important area for a number of DoD agencies.  WAI anticipates that the increased experience and validation that will result from this effort will directly result in increasing WAIs consulting business in this area.  WAI also anticipates an increase in sales of the NLFlex software to government groups interested in HFPB modeling of HSC and UHSC materials.