This paper presents early results from an experimental and numerical program to assist in the improvement of protective de-mining footwear. A surrogate human leg, known as the DREV Simplified Lower Leg (SLL), has been developed for the evaluation of biofidelic materials, to assess protective boot materials and to validate more geometrically complex physical leg models. To further understand this problem, the SLL has been modeled numerically using the LS-DYNA explicit finite element program. The problem has been modeled using a Lagrangian approach and has been successful in predicting the behaviour for the first 100 microseconds of the blast. The numerical analyses indicated that the response of the explosive and leg are coupled so that it was necessary to accurately model the explosive. Human bone mechanical properties have also been considered in the SLL numerical model. These analyses show that local crushing of the heel bone (calcaneous) has a significant effect on the overall response of the leg.
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