A fuel specific detonation wave in a pipe propagates with a predictable wave velocity. This internal detonation wave speed determines the level of flexural wave excitation of pipes and the possibility of resonance response leading to a serious structural damage. In this paper, we study the elastic response of metallic tubes and establish the resonance conditions of pipe breakage for internally loaded pipe structures. The analytical results are compared to the high strain rate calculation of a multi-material blast wave analysis using a hydrocode. Various power industries using hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels exposed to such potential hazards may benefit from the findings of this paper. (C) 2008 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.