Even 80 years after the end of the war, hundreds of thousands of unexploded ordnance still lie buried beneath the ground in Germany—often right in the middle of densely populated cities. The danger becomes clear with every new discovery: people must be evacuated, entire streets closed off, and rail traffic suspended. The situation becomes especially critical when hospitals or other vital infrastructure are nearby. But how accurately can we assess which areas are truly at risk?

Up to now, most models have focused on the effects of blast waves and flying shrapnel. However, there has been little data on how to evaluate the effectiveness of damping measures or how the energy spreads underground—impacting pipelines, subterranean infrastructure, and the foundations of nearby buildings.

As part of the project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), six controlled detonations were carried out using 500-pound bombs—the very type most commonly found in Germany.

The explosions were conducted under realistic conditions, including various damping measures such as sand and water, combined with precise sensors to measure pressure waves, shrapnel distribution, and especially ground shockwaves.

The goal was to collect reliable data that can serve as a foundation for improving and further developing simulation models.

At the heart of the tests is the further development of the simulation solution VC BlastProtect, developed by Virtual City Systems in close collaboration with the Fraunhofer Ernst-Mach-Institute (EMI) and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service of North Rhine-Westphalia (Kampfmittelräumdienst NRW).

The project addresses three key challenges:

1. Validation of existing models
   The measurement data from the detonation tests were used to verify and validate the calculations implemented in VC BlastProtect for blast waves and fragment trajectories under real-world conditions.
2. Module expansion for ground shockwaves
   Based on the newly collected data, a new simulation module is being developed that will make it possible to assess the underground impacts of explosions—such as on basements, building foundations, or utility lines.
3. Integration of damping measures
   Another objective is to enable VC BlastProtect to account for mitigating measures—such as the use of sand or water—in risk assessments. This will allow targeted planning of damage-reduction strategies directly on-site.

VC BlastProtect is already in practical use by bomb disposal services and other experts as a decision-support system. It provides a solid foundation—based on physical models—for developing realistic evacuation and safety concepts.

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Until now, entire streets often had to be evacuated as a precaution—typically based on generalized safety radii. But how large does the actual danger zone around a bomb need to be?

The improved simulation tools will enable a much more precise assessment of the risk in the future. This means evacuation zones can be defined more accurately, evacuation measures can be planned more efficiently, and unnecessary disruptions can be avoided.

This not only enhances protection for the public but also reduces the burden on emergency services and authorities.

SchockAnalyst is a joint project led by the Ministry of the Interior of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, with partners including Virtual City Systems, the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics (EMI), and several state-level explosive ordnance disposal services.

The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the program “Civil Security – Research for Practical Applications.”

The danger posed by unexploded ordnance is real—and will remain so for decades to come. But with modern technology and targeted research, we can make dealing with it safer, more efficient, and more responsible.

The results of SchockAnalyst make one thing clear: prevention begins with knowledge—and with precise simulation.

Discover how VC BlastProtect supports explosive ordnance disposal teams and authorities in precise risk assessment and operational planning: Go to the VC BlastProtect product page.