An Experimental Investigation on Composition 4 Linear Shaped Charges for Structural Steel Cutting

Linear Shaped Charges (LSCs) are widely used for cutting structural steel in building demolition due to their high efficiency, speed, and minimal environmental impact. However, commercial LSCs are often expensive and require considerable time and cost for importation, especially in regions with limited access to such specialized tools. Therefore, this study explored the cutting performance of prototype LSCs using Composition 4 (C-4) explosives on structural steel plates. Three charge weights (42, 74, and 114 g) were tested using copper liners and acrylic casings. The cutting performance was evaluated through measurements of minimum and maximum cutting depths. The results showed a statistically significant increase in the cutting depth with a greater explosive mass. ANOVA confirmed that the charge weight is a critical factor affecting cutting efficiency. Regression models were developed to quantify the relationship between explosive mass and cutting depth, yielding R2 values of 0.81 and 0.79 for the minimum and maximum depths, respectively. A design equation was derived for estimating the required C-4 charge per unit length. The comparative evaluation with previously published ribbon charge data revealed that the regression-based model required less than half the explosive mass to achieve equivalent performance. These findings suggest that C-4 can serve as an effective alternative for precision steel cutting, especially in resource-limited or emergency demolition scenarios.