The assessment of dynamic response and residual capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) columns to blast load is decisive for protection of buildings, especially regarding progressive collapse risk. In the case of explosive devices placed next to a critical structural element,…
The assessment of dynamic response and residual capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) columns to blast load is decisive for protection of buildings, especially regarding progressive collapse risk. In the case of explosive devices placed next to a critical structural element, complex and extreme loading is applied on the nearby system and the material response is characterized by high non-linearities.In this study, detailed weak-coupled fluid dynamics and finite element calculations are first used to investigate several scenarios of blast loading and RC columns response for contact detonations from 2.5 kg to 500 kg in a generic building. A general damage criterion is proposed and numerically evaluated in terms of residual axial load-carrying capacity. Parametric studies using a simplified loading methodology are then carried out to investigate the influence of charge weight, stand-off distance, column dimensions and concrete strength. Based on these results, an analytical empirical formula is derived to predict the damage level of the column.