Blast-Retrofit Wall Systems Using Cold-Formed Steel Studs

Abstract : Blast-retrofit of in-fill wall systems such as steel-stud walls is of current interest to the engineering community and government agencies. To be able to develop and advance blast-retrofit technologies, it is crucial first to be able to develop prediction methodologies and engineering design tools. Therefore, this paper will present the analytical modeling and experimental evaluation of steel-stud wall systems under blast loads. The results of the static full-scale wall tests as well as the component tests are used to evaluate the structural performance of the walls and provide recommendations for blast-retrofit systems. The analytical and experimental results are used to develop the static resistance function for the wall systems, which is incorporated into a single degree of freedom (SDOF) dynamic model. The SDOF dynamic model of the walls will enable designers to predict the level of performance of the wall system under any explosion threat level. Such information is very valuable to engineers designing for explosion protection. The paper will discuss the performance of the blast-retrofit wall systems under static and dynamic field tests.