Dynamic Response and Failure Mode Analysis on Light-Weight Steel Columns under Blast Loads

Abstract

The dynamic response and failure mode of light-weight steel columns under blast loads were studied in this paper by using nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) software ANSYS/ LS-DYNA, aiming to develop the degree and modes of the excessive plastic deformation during failures of the columns under diverse parameters. The damaged columns with initial blast-induced deformation may evidently influence vertical stability of light-weight steel frame structures. During the numerical simulation, the element of three dimensional solid SOLID164 was used, and the strain rate effect on material strength was included in the material model with Plastic-Kinematic (MAT-03). The main parameters included in the analysis were boundary conditions, scaled distances of explosions, and the vertical compressive load ratios applied on tops of the columns. The results showed that the column with both two fixed ends was the most beneficial to resist blast shock wave, the horizontal displacement at the middle span of the columns were obviously decreasing as increasing of the scaled distances of the explosion, and the axial compression ratio only significantly influenced the column with a sliding end. The failure modes of the developed columns may be summarized as bending failure, direct shear failure, and bending shear combination failure.