Indian Journal of Science and Technology

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the behaviour of reinforced concrete building frames under different types of blast loads. Methods: The method adopted for the analysis was ConWep blast load method. This is a computational method and is based on collection of conventional weapon effects calculations developed by U.S Dept. of Army 1998. The finite element modelling of the building was carried out by using the standard hydrocode software LS_DYNA_971 R 7.1. The charge weight was considered as 226.8 kg of TNT explosive. Findings: Building structures are constructed throughout the world in accordance with building codes. The available codes lack substantial design considerations to prevent or minimize the impact caused by any sort of blast. The attacks by terrorists mainly focus on the iconic buildings like school buildings, government offices and hospitals etc. which affects the safety of the structure and causes loss of lives. So before the design it is required to know the behaviour of the entire building and its critical elements to design to resists the blast loads. In this study, the material models used for the representation of concrete and steel are CSCM_CONCRETE and PIECEWISE_LINEAR_ PLASTICITY respectively. The details of the modelling of building and its progressive collapse, material properties are also discussed. Improvements: The codes which are available for blast design are not provided the different types of failure conditions, for this reason this study was conducted and the failure conditions are observed.
Keywords: Blast Loading, Duration, Explosive Effects, Finite Element Method, Progressive Collapse, Reinforced Concrete Buildings