Near-Field Explosion Effects on the Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete Columns: A Numerical Investigation

The high incidence of global terrorism and accidental explosions have highlighted the vulnerability of built infrastructure to blast loading. Thus, owners of iconic structures are looking for ways to protect their critical assets from the effects of explosions. Many of the research efforts, in this light, have been devoted to the effects of far-field explosions on structural elements. The effects of near-field explosions on structural elements, especially columns, have not been as widely investigated. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive research program designed to investigate the effects of near-field explosions on the behaviour of reinforced concrete columns designed and detailed for regions of different levels of seismicity. The numerical study shows that reinforced concrete columns subjected to blast loading from higher explosive charge masses have higher deflections than those subjected to blast loading from lower charge masses, but at the same scaled distance. Also, the effect of closely spaced transverse reinforcement is significant at smaller scaled distances. Thus, reinforced concrete columns designed and detailed for areas of high seismicity have an inherently high blast resistance.

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