Structural Response under Blast Loads - Simplified Numerical Analysis

Abstract

Efficiently and accurately predicting structural dynamic response and damage to external blast loading is a big challenge to both structural engineers and researchers. Theoretical investigation on this problem is complex as it involves non-linear inelastic material properties, effect of time varying strain rates, uncertainties of blast load calculations and the time-dependent structural deformations. Experimental investigation can provide valuable data for locating the damage and establishing the damage criteria. The damage curves generated from the extensive experimental study can provide quick assessment of the structural status. However, such blast experiments always involve safety concern and can be beyond the affordability. Besides this, the correlation of the experimental data with predictive method is difficult since it requires a large number of tests to generate damage curves. Compared with the theoretical and experimental study, numerical simulation does not involve any safety concern and is cost-effective. With verified material model and element model, numerical simulation could be powerful supplement to the experimental tests. However, numerical simulation of structural responses under blast and impact loading could be time and resource consuming. Even with modern computer technology and computational mechanics method, detailed modelling and numerical simulation of responses of structures subjected to blast loadings are still often prohibitive. To address this issue, in the present study, an efficient numerical method is proposed to reliably calculate structural response and damage to blast loadings.