Investigation of Behavior of Masonry Walls Constructed with Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Blocks under Blast Loading

Abstract

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks have widespread popularity in the construction industry. In addition to lightness, these materials have other advantages, including fire resistance, low acoustic and thermal conductivity, ease of cutting and grooving, and simple transportation. Since the behavior of AAC under severe dynamic loading conditions such as blast loads has not been adequately studied in the literature, in the current paper, the behavior of masonry walls constructed with AAC blocks was evaluated under blast loading. In this study, after performing experimental testing on materials and obtaining their compressive, tensile, and shear strength values, the finite element (FE) models of AAC-based masonry walls were created in the ABAQUS/Explicit nonlinear platform. Three different wall thicknesses of 15, 20, and 25 cm were simulated, and the models were analyzed under a lateral explosion caused by 5 and 7 kg of TNT at the stand-off distances of 2, 5, and 10 m from the wall face. The stress distributions, displacement responses, adsorbed energy, and crack propagation pattern were investigated in each case. The results showed the inappropriate behavior of these materials against explosion loads, especially at shorter distances and on walls with less thickness. The outcome gives valuable information to prioritize these walls for possible blast strengthening.