ARA maintains an active large scale explosive testing program for evaluating the response of various structural systems (windows, walls, doors, expedient structures) exposed to actual blast loads.

We specialize in weapons effects testing to evaluate the effect of new and existing weapons. We cover the full range of sub-scale to full scale testing. We perform end-to-end services including design of the source, design and construction of test articles, design and emplacement of instrumentation and sensors, design and emplacement of high speed video, design of specialized data acquisition, and reduction and analysis of test data.

During the design phase we perform detailed engineering analysis of all test aspects to ensure high probability of a successful event and data capture.

We operate a complete instrumentation development laboratory and we operate two ARA explosive test sites and several government owned facilities under contract. Such tests can provide:

• Proof of novel concepts
• Validation of a product
• Data to develop/improve/refine products and analysis tools
• Product and project specific verification/validation of a particular design for a particular loading and a given performance level

New blast-mitigation technologies and designs are continually being developed. In some instances, these ideas look promising on paper, although their performance during an actual explosive event may be lackluster at best.

Alternatively, a tested system may also far exceed expectations. Because of the real-world results that these tests provide, the explosive test bed has become a proving ground's for both newly developed technologies as well as project-specific designs.