Research Projects

Blast Loaded Structures

My primary field of research involves experimental and numerical studies of blast-loaded structures. Under grant funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2002-2003, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2004-2005, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2007-2008 and in 2008-2010. I have conducted tests on aircraft fuselage skin materials under explosive loading. Additionally, numerical simulations have been carried out using the commercially available finite element software ANSYS/DYNA and LS-DYNA.

Research findings from this work have been presented at conferences and published in journals.

Undergraduate Student Involvement

Undergraduate students play a vital role in my research projects. Since arriving at Hope College in 1998, I have worked with student researchers in the summer and during the adacemic year.

Student Research Photos

Conference Presentations

“Impulse Plug Measurements of Blast Reflected Impulse at Close Range”, M.W. Nansteel, R.L. Veldman, C.C. Chen, and W. Lawrence, SEM XII International Congress & Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics, Costa Mesa, California, June 2012.

" Measurement of Blast Reflected Overpressure at Small Charge Standoff with Tourmaline Piezoelectric Transducers", R.L. Veldman, M.W. Nansteel, C.C. Chen, 26th International Ballistics Symposium & Exhibition, Miami, Flordia, September 2011.

"Lightweight Mitigating Materials for Structures Under Close-in Blast Loading", R.L. Veldman, J. Ari-Gur, and M. Panaggio, 50th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference, Palm Springs, California, May, 2009.

"Blast Load Modeling and Validation Testing of Clamped Aluminum Plates" Homemade Explosives Blast Effects Modeling & Model Validation Workshop-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Atlantic City, New Jersey, (November, 2007).

"Overview of Experimental Results for the Blast Response of Clamped Aluminum Plates," R.L. Veldman, J. Ari-Gur, The 4th International Aviation Security Symposium, Washington, D.C., November, 2006.

“Effects of Pre-Pressurization on Damage of Blast-Loaded Reinforced Plates” R.L. Veldman, J. Ari-Gur, C. Clum, ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Orlando, Florida, November, 2006.

“ Effects of Pre-Pressurization on Plastic Deformation of Blast-Loaded Square Aluminum Plates,” R.L. Veldman, J. Ari-Gur, C. Clum, J. Folkert, 8th International LS-DYNA Users Conference, Dearborn, Michigan, May 2004.

“Effects of Pre-Pressurization on Blast Response of Square Aluminum Plates,” R.L. Veldman, J. Ari-Gur, A. DeYoung, J. Folkert, B. Mulder, Response of Structures to Extreme Loading, Toronto, Canada, August 2003.

“Enhancing Commercial Aircraft Survivability via Active Venting,” R.L. Veldman and J. Ari-Gur, The Federal Aviation Administration’s Third International Aviation Security Technology Symposium, Atlantic City, New Jersey, November, 2001.

“Determining Aircraft Vent Panel Actuation and Fuselage Decompression Times During Active Venting,” R.L. Veldman, Michigan Space Grant Consortium Conference, Ann Arbor, Michigan, October, 1999.

Publications

" Impulse Plug Measurements of Blast Reflected Impulse at Close Range", Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, M. W. Nansteel, R.L. Veldman, C. Chen, and W. Lawrence, 2013, 38: pp. 120–128.

"Response of Pre-Pressurized Reinforced Plates Under Blast Loading", International Journal of Impact Engineering, R.L. Veldman, J. Ari-Gur, C. Clum, April 2008, 35(4), pp. 240-250.

“Effects of Pre-pressurization on Blast Response of Clamped Aluminum Plates”, International Journal of Impact Engineering, R. L. Veldman, J. Ari-Gur, C. Clum, A. DeYoung, J. Folkert, Oct. 2006, 32(10), pp. 1678-1695.