SecurityUrban Simulation
SchockAnalyst: Hazard Analysis of Aerial Bombs
Simulation-based Hazard Analysis of Ground Shock Waves during the Defusing or Detonation of Aerial Bombs
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Project Funding
Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt
Project Coordination
Ministry of the Interior of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf
Projekt Partner
- Fraunhofer Institut für Kurzzeitdynamik
Ernst-Mach-Institut (EMI), Freiburg in Breisgau - virtualcitysystems GmbH, Berlin
Projekt Duration
April 2024 – March 2026
Funding Reference Number 13N16848 bis 13N16850
Funding Amount: 1,4 Mio Euro
Project Objective
The aim is the further development of digital simulation software for realistic modeling of hazard zones caused by unexploded ordnance (UXO) — in particular WWII aerial bombs — in urban environments.
SchockAnalyst builds on the predecessor project SIRIUS, which has already successfully enabled simulation-based analysis of blast waves and fragment dispersal in 3D city models. SchockAnalyst expands this approach by adding the previously missing modeling of ground shock waves — a crucial factor for realistically assessing subsurface damage.
As part of the project, the largest series of aerial bomb detonation tests since World War II was conducted in May 2025. The results of these tests were incorporated into the simulation software VC Blastprotect.
From the epicenter to the edge of the impact zone: the simulation displays the entire environment of a bomb detonation.
About the Project
Hundreds of thousands of unexploded ordnance (UXO) from World War II still lie buried beneath the ground in Germany.
Their defusing often requires large-scale evacuations to protect the population. Building on this challenge, the research project SchockAnalyst is developing a novel, simulation-based hazard analysis for urban environments.
The software aims to realistically assess risks from blast waves and fragment dispersal in advance — and, in the future, also the effects on foundations, pipelines, and other underground infrastructures. Mitigation measures will also be taken into account going forward, with validation provided by the largest civilian test campaign of unexploded bombs in post-war history. The ultimate goal is to enable more targeted evacuation planning and to reduce its overall scale.
- Currently, the use of blanket safety radii during bomb disposal often leads to extensive evacuations. SchockAnalyst seeks to replace this with physics-based calculations that allow for more precise risk assessments — protecting the population while also easing the burden on authorities and emergency services.
- Especially in densely populated urban areas or near critical infrastructure, such refined hazard analysis can help avoid unnecessary evacuations and shorten operational times.
Outlook
SchockAnalyst provides a cutting-edge combination of physics-based simulation and digital city modeling to better assess the detonation effects of unexploded ordnance. This enables:
- realistic determination and, where possible, targeted minimization of safety zones,
- differentiated assessment of impacts on critical infrastructure such as hospitals,
- potential reduction of evacuation efforts,
- and greater decision-making certainty for emergency forces.
Our Role in the SchockAnalyst Project
As Virtual City Systems, we contribute our expertise in 3D city models, geodata integration, and visualization to the project.
Our tasks include:
- integrating the blast and ground shock wave models developed by Fraunhofer EMI into our existing tool VC BlastProtect,
- building interfaces to 3D building and city models,
- providing clear visualization of hazard zones within the digital city model,
- developing a user-friendly, cloud-based demonstrator for explosive ordnance disposal services.
In this way, we make complex physical simulations directly usable in the field — enabling fast, precise, and well-founded decision-making on site.
Further resources
Further development of our simulation software VC BlastProtect