Australian National Shock Testing & Qualification Capabilities

Australian National Shock-Testing & Qualification Capabilities Canberra | Melbourne | Perth | Sydney

Ian Leaver, CPEng

Huon Bornstein

Defence Business Lead

Associate, Applied Science

Our specialists in defence and security work with militaries, governments and international organisations to safeguard assets of every kind from a wide array of threats. We’re bringing that experience to Australia to help the shipbuilding industry develop a national sovereign capability in shock testing and qualification for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

+61 (0)3 9724 3755 AUSDefence@ThorntonTomasetti.com

Thornton Tomasetti is a multidisciplinary firm of engineers and scientists who solve complex problems for clients worldwide.

Our specialists in defence and security work with militaries, governments and international organisations to safeguard assets of every kind from a wide array of threats.

We’re bringing that experience to Australia to help the shipbuilding industry develop a national sovereign capability in survivability assessment, design and testing for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

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Australian National Shock-Testing & Qualification Capabilities

Photos This spread: Airgun shock testing against a surfaced submarine structure Cover: Underwater explosive test facility, Nagambie, Victoria, Australia

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL SHOCK-TESTING & QUALIFICATION CAPABILITIES

System ready for heavyweight shock test

JASSO portable shock-testing machine for lightand medium-weight equipment and systems

Key Capabili ti es

Heavyweight floating shock platform test

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Heavyweight shock testing (up to 27 tonnes payload) • Replicates a range of international standards, including Australian and MIL-S-901E •

Floating shock platform (FSP) has large test deck (8.4 x 4 m) for surface ship and submarine equipment

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Explosive shock-loading and non-explosive airgun methods available

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Supports waterborne naval systems. Range of tuned deck-frequency response fixtures

Medium- and lightweight shock testing • Uses our JASSO machine to replicate Australian and all international shock standard requirements •

Fully portable on 20-foot ISO skid

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Test items weighing several tonnes and as long as approximately 6 m

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Replicates naval-platform response using positive and negative asymmetric sine wave input pulses

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Completely tuneable input pulses for acceleration and duration

Underwater Shock Testing & Qualification Why use Thornton Tomasetti for shock testing?

Because we offer modern, versatile methods.

Due to the complex shock environment that exists within the Royal Australian Navy, with five+ international shock standards in use across the fleet, shock testing for the RAN is more complex than in other countries.

Thornton Tomasetti has experience working across all three AUKUS nations and has written standards for two of them. This experience allows us to plan sets of tests allowing cross-platform qualification that would also be recognised globally.

We're supplementing lightweight shock-testing capabilities in Australia with heavyweight FSPs and the JASSO machine. This enables us to cover the full spectrum of RAN systems and equipment – and form part of a sovereign national shock-testing and qualification capability that will be a key component of a vital naval shipbuilding industry.

Our engineers pair modern techniques with decades of experience in testing and qualification. That’s the know-how Thornton Tomasetti brings to Australia to help the RAN develop an innovative fleet of survivable warships to meet the threats of today – and tomorrow.

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Australian National Shock-Testing & Qualification Capabilities

Seismic airgun module being lowered into position with four airgun cells below the main float (the green box)

Airgun shock testing against a surfaced submarine structure

Key Capabili ti es

Four seismic airgun modules being positioned next to a decommissioned fast attack craft

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Airguns enable non-explosive and more environmentally friendly testing

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Alongside testing is faster, simpler and less expensive

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Enables performance testing prior to operations rather than once in a lifetime

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Forms part of a test and trials evaluation strategy that supports the 2018 Defence Industrial Capability Plan

Better Full-Scale Ship Shock Testing (FSST) FSST should be considered as a critical step in ensuring a naval platform can perform at a suitable survivability level in a weapons engagement scenario.

FSST is as important as testing and qualification, modelling and simulation, and shock standards requirements and assessment. But Australia has only performed three full-scale ship shock trials against any of its naval fleet.

The Department of Defence’s Test, Evaluation, Certification and Systems Assurance Industry Plan, issued in December 2020, underscores the need for robust testing capabilities. FSST forms an important part of this test and trials evaluation strategy.

Conducting explosive-based shock trials at sea requires considerable time, planning and cost. Environmental compliance requirements add even more complexity. Future explosive-based FSST will almost certainly become prohibitive due to environmental requirements and high costs.

Thornton Tomasetti developed and patented a novel technique that dramatically reduces the cost – and environmental impact – of performing FSST. We use an array of seismic airguns to produce a pressure pulse and water-particle loading similar to those of an explosive, but at lower intensity. When placed near a portion of a wet hull, the airguns simulate the full shock-loading response of an explosive charge.

Using airguns for the dynamic loading of ships and submarines greatly reduces the environmental effects of FSST. And the ability to test alongside – instead of at sea – speeds up the process, simplifies logistics and lowers costs. This means more platforms can be fully tested. And because airgun arrays are readily available and mutually compatible, combined systems can be used effectively to test larger vessels.

The Canadian Department of National Defence and the U.S. Navy have approved airguns as an FSST technology, and the U.K. MOD has incorporated this technology into U.K. shock-testing standards.

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Australian National Shock-Testing & Qualification Capabilities

Small boat model developed for analysis of non-standard loading conditions

Submarine electron beam equivalent simulation model

Key Capabili ti es

Full digital survivability model of the Type 26 frigate

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Full-platform digital-twin models replicate any shock-loading event on any maritime platform

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In-house software developed over 30 years

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Fully validated against 20 years of shock testing

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System response can be modelled down to component detail

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Effective for a range of survivability scenarios, including structural response to airblast

Modelling & Simulation of Survivability Events We developed the EPSA and FLEX finite element modelling codes with all aspects of underwater shock and naval platform survivability scenarios in mind.

As a leader in the development of computational simulation techniques over the past 30-plus years, Thornton Tomasetti creates detailed models that provide realistic simulations of naval platforms and equipment – and how they respond under pressure.

Detailed shock-wave movement through liquids. Structural response through material elastic, plastic or failure modes. High-resolution response of submarine components on a critical combat system. These are just some of the analyses we have performed that have been verified and validated through response testing.

In fact, these models and simulations are so well developed that often physical shock testing is not needed, unless there is a specific qualification requirement.

Our engineers have developed full digital-twin models of all U.K. submarines and surface combatants. This allows complete, detailed platform responses to be evaluated prior to structural or system changes. The results can then be fed back into shock requirements and standards (the U.K. MAP requirements, for example).

A better understanding of a naval platform’s behaviour enables naval engineers to optimise its survivability and streamline design.

What do you get when you pair our shock-testing capabilities and our modelling and simulation expertise? A powerful method of accurately assessing how critical structure and systems will perform under underwater weapon attack conditions.

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Australian National Shock-Testing & Qualification Capabilities

Comparison of testing response and Australian shock standard requirements through shock response spectra

A 20-foot ISO modular naval system shockprotected using PUMPKIN™ mounts

Key Capabili ti es

PUMPKIN™ shock isolation mount developed by Thornton Tomasetti

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Compare and assess any international shock standard against the DEF(AUST) 5000 requirements

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Recommend appropriate equipment shock input pulses to achieve Australian requirements or determine if a previously tested piece of equipment already meets Australian requirements

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Correlate shock-testing levels to shock-response spectra and to validated modelling and simulation capabilities

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Shock-isolation systems help sensitive equipment meet high-level shock requirements

Shock Standards & Requirements Determination Our experts are well-versed in defining and maintaining shock standards to help navies clearly understand the performance of their entire fleet.

Australia is in a challenging position when it comes to assessing the survivability of its naval platforms against underwater weapons attacks.

Collins-class submarines from Sweden, Anzac frigates from Germany, Hobartclass destroyers from Spain, Hunter-class frigates from the U.K., future U.K./U.S. submarines – these platforms have a variety of shock standards. And weapons systems from the U.S. often meet different shock requirements than the platforms they occupy.

How can the RAN gain a comprehensive picture of how its platforms will perform against a set of standard weapon threats – and in operational scenarios?

By taking a coordinated approach to shock testing all equipment and systems on RAN combatants.

At Thornton Tomasetti, our experienced staff know how to determine and maintain shock standards for navies, including those of the U.K. and Australia.

We can assess and coordinate any shock standard – and its testing requirements – against one or more others.

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Australian National Shock-Testing & Qualification Capabilities

We support naval shipbuilding in many more ways.

When others say no, we say, "HERE’S HOW."

Building a team of sovereign survivability experts for the Australian Defence Force

Summary Thornton Tomasetti aims to help Australia develop a sovereign capability in naval platform shock testing and assessment.

We helped the U.K. achieve a Tier 3 shock-testing capability level, in which testing and qualification, modelling and simulation, and shock-standards assessment are all an integral part of proving a naval platform’s survivability capability. We’d like the opportunity to help Australia develop its shock capability to the same level as the U.K. Doing so will maximise the shock survivability of assets built by the Australian shipbuilding industry while meeting cost and capability constraints. It will also foster the industry’s understanding of shock survivability – of its importance and how best to achieve it. And this knowledge can be fed back into the Maritime Doctrine, where it can contribute to the development of ever-better platform designs.

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Australian National Shock-Testing & Qualification Capabilities

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