The　tunnel　entrance　is　usually　made　of　arch　members　buried　at　shallow　depths.　These　contribute　to　the　greater　performance　of　the　tunnel　under　static　or　seismic　loading.　If　an　explosion　occurs　in　the　shallow　buried　tunnel,　the　tunnel　arch　at　the　entrance　might　be　destroyed　by　the　intense　blast　loading,　thereby　causing　the　collapse　of　the　tunnel　entrance　or　the　surrounding　ground.　Hence,　it　is　extremely　important　to　investigate　the　dynamic　behavior　of　a　shallow　buried　tunnel　arch　under　the　conditions　of　an　internal　explosion　and　to　evaluate　its　damage　after　the　blast.　In　this　paper,　four　scaled　tunnel　arch　structures　were　fabricated　and　tested　for　their　anti-blast　performance　under　internal　explosion.　The　following　laboratory　static　load　test　was　conducted　on　the　undamaged　and　blast-damaged　specimens　to　obtain　their　maximum　and　residual　bearing　capacities,　respectively.　The　field　blast　test　results　showed　that　the　tunnel　arch　experienced　local　punching　failure　under　the　internal　contact　explosion,　and　the　dimensions　of　the　failure　zone　increased　as　the　explosive　equivalent　increased.　In　addition,　for　the　same　explosive　equivalent,　the　residual　bearing　capacity　of　the　specimen　after　the　contact　explosion　at　the　arch　crown　was　the　lowest　among　other　blast-damaged　specimens,　indicating　that　the　damage　on　the　arch　crown　signifi-cantly　deteriorated　the　bearing　capacity　and　stiffness　of　the　tunnel　arch.　The　finite　element　(FE)　model　of　the　shallow　buried　tunnel　arch　under　the　internal　explosion　was　developed　by　adopting　the　arbitrary　Lagran-gian-Eulerian　(ALE)　algorithm　in　LS-DYNA　and　validated　on　the　actual　measurements　from　the　field　blast　test.　It　is　shown　that　the　results　from　the　FE　model　and　field　blast　test　measurements　compared　well　in　terms　of　damage　pattern,　crater　diameter,　acceleration　and　reflected　overpressure　readings.　The　full　restart　method　in　LS-DYNA　was　further　employed　to　calculate　the　bearing　capacity　of　the　specimens.　Finally,　the　damage　levels　of　the　blast-damaged　specimens　were　assessed　by　taking　the　residual　bearing　capacity　of　the　tunnel　arch　as　an　indi-cator.　The　damage　assessment　charts　for　the　shallow　buried　tunnel　arch　under　the　conditions　of　an　internal　explosion　were　further　established.　From　the　chart,　the　blast　resistance　of　the　shallow　buried　tunnel　arch　can　be　quickly　assessed　under　different　internal　blast　loading　conditions.　This　research　is　of　direct　significance　for　the　design　of　the　shallow　buried　structures　with　increased　blast　resistance.