Performance of one-way reinforced concrete walls subjected to blast loads

Abstract

The performance of one-way reinforced concrete walls in resisting blast loads is numerically evaluated in this paper. Reinforced concrete wall strips of dimension 4.0 × 1.0 m and different thicknesses and supported on two sides spanning in the long direction are subjected to blast loads produced by the detonation of high explosive charges. The modelling and analysis was carried out using ANSYS AUTODYN solver. The accuracy of the modelling and its parameters is numerically verified against published experimental results of blast load tests on reinforced concrete slabs. The model was capable of simulating the observed damage and displacement with reasonable accuracy. The verified model is then used for extensive parametric study to examine the effect of different design parameters on the performance of reinforced concrete walls under the effect of blast loads. The design parameters considered in this study include the effect of concrete compressive strength of RC wall, the wall thickness, the reinforcement amount and details, and reflected peak pressure. The wall performance was evaluated considering maximum displacement, extent of damage and energy absorbed within the wall through damage.