Professor Andrew Tyas
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
DSTL/Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Blast Protection Engineering
+44 114 222 5735
Full contact details
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Room D121
Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
- Profile
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Learning in an industrial context provides skills such as management, project management, communication, presentation skills, health and safety awareness, and risk management, all of which enable our graduates to transition more easily into their careers, giving them a more holistic view of their profession.
PROFESSOR ANDY TYAS
Andy is a graduate of Loughborough University of Technology, who spent five years working in civil engineering design practice before returning to academia. He received his PhD from the University of Sheffield for a DERA sponsored study of impact dynamics and was appointed Lecturer in Structural Design in 1997.
Andy’s research concentrates on blast and impact engineering, with a focus on protecting people, buildings and vehicles from explosions. This branch of structural engineering explores what happens to materials when they are subjected to extreme loading from explosions. Andy specialises in understanding these blast load parameters and applying his understanding to design infrastructure or transport for protection. Andy and his team have designed and developed the globally unique Characterisation of Blast Loading rig, which gives them unprecedented insights into the development of blast loading in the most aggressive scenarios. This experimental work, along with advanced numerical modelling, enables him to develop a better understanding of explosions and their effects. This research can help to save lives by designing protection systems for scenarios ranging from the detonation of a land mine, to a bomb exploding close to a structure.
His teaching areas interests include structural analysis, design and blast and impact dynamics. He provides the basic concepts and enables students to apply them in the unique way needed for blast and impact scenarios, where loads are extremely intense and last such a short time. He is particularly interested in helping students develop the confidence and maturity to produce suitable design ideas at the initial concept stage.
Andy is head of the Blast and Impact research group in the Department, managing the testing laboratory at Harpur Hill, Buxton where research into blast physics and the response of structures to rapid dynamic loading is conducted. Along with Dr Jim Warren, he is also a Director of Blastech Ltd, a University spin-out company offering consultancy and commercial testing services to industry in the field of blast and impact loading of structures. Additionally, he collaborates with Dr Matthew Gilbert in the development of computational optimisation-based methods for the design of structures.
Armoured vehicle explosive testing (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory)
- Publications
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Journal articles
- Temporally and spatially resolved reflected overpressure measurements in the extreme near field. Sensors, 23(2), 964-964. View this article in WRRO
- Preliminary yield estimation of the 2020 Beirut explosion using video footage from social media. Shock Waves, 30(6), 671-675. View this article in WRRO
- Characterisation of buried blast loading. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 476(2236). View this article in WRRO
- Experimental Measurement of Specific Impulse Distribution and Transient Deformation of Plates Subjected to Near-Field Explosive Blasts. Experimental Mechanics, 59(2), 163-178. View this article in WRRO
- Theoretically optimal forms for very long-span bridges under gravity loading. Proceedings of the Royal Society A, 474(2217), ---. View this article in WRRO
- Optimum structure for a uniform load over multiple spans. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 52(6), 1041-1050. View this article in WRRO
- A large scale experimental approach to the measurement of spatially and temporally localised loading from the detonation of shallow-buried explosives. Measurement Science and Technology, 26. View this article in WRRO
- On backward dispersion correction of Hopkinson pressure bar signals. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 372(2023), 20130291-20130291.
- Clearing effects on plates subjected to blast loads. Engineering and Computational Mechanics, 166, 140-148. View this article in WRRO
- Single-degree-of-freedom response of finite targets subjected to blast loading - the influence of clearing. Engineering Structures, 45, 396-404. View this article in WRRO
- Strain rate dependent component based connection modelling for use in non-linear dynamic progressive collapse analysis. Engineering Structures.
- On the optimality of Hemp's arch with vertical hangers. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 46(1), 17-25. View this article in WRRO
- Optimum structure to carry a uniform load between pinned supports: Exact analytical solution. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 467(2128), 1101-1120.
- Prediction of clearing effects in far-field blast loading of finite targets. Shock Waves, 21, 111-119.
- Optimum structure to carry a uniform load between pinned supports. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 42, 33-42.
- Investigation of shock waves in explosive blasts using fibre optic pressure. Measurement Science and Technology, 17(6), 1337-1342.
- Layout optimization of large-scale pin-jointed frames. Engineering Computations, 20(8), 1044-1064.
- Investigation of frequency domain dispersion correction of pressure bar signals. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 25(1), 87-101.
Conference proceedings papers
- Experimental observation and modelling of contained detonations of PE4: what is the influence of afterburn?. Future Developments in Explosives and Energetics: 1st International Explosives Conference, Vol. 356 (pp 200-219). London, United Kingdom, 22 July 2022 - 22 July 2022. View this article in WRRO
- Michell structure for a uniform load over multiple spans. 9th World Congress on Structural & Multidisciplinary Optimization. Shizuoka, Japan, 13 June 2011 - 17 June 2011. View this article in WRRO
- Temporally and spatially resolved reflected overpressure measurements in the extreme near field. Sensors, 23(2), 964-964. View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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Computational Mechanics & Design
Blast & Impact
- Grants
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Past Grants
Mechanisms & Characterisation of Explosions
The overall aim of MaCE is to develop a comprehensive conceptual model of blast loading which will serve to underpin accurate predictive models for protection engineers.
- Potential PhD offerings
Unfortunately I am not seeking any PhD Students at this time, however please contact me if you are interested in doing a project in my research area.