Numerical simulations of Reinforced Concrete (RC) panels subjected to blast loads are presented in this paper. In spite of a large number of events such as explosions and bombings in recent years, there is a difficulty in accurately predicting the behavior of structural systems due to blast loading. The effects of blast loads on 64” (L) x 33.75” (W) x 4” (H) RC slabs are studied using both nonlinear finite element analysis and Single Degree of Freedom (SDOF) models, and the analysis results are compared with available test results provided by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. This study investigated the gap between actual and predicted response of reinforced concrete structures subjected to highly dynamic loading such as blast. The effects of concrete strength, reinforcing steel grade, and the magnitude of blast loads on the dynamic response of reinforced concrete panels are considered.

Numerical modelling is nowadays commonly employed in the analysis of concrete structures subjected to extreme dynamic loadings such as blast. Sophisticated material models, particularly concrete, are available in commercial codes and they are often applied in their default settings in a diverse range of modelling applications. However, the mechanisms governing different load response scenarios can be characteristically different and as such the actual demands on specific aspects of a material model differ. It is therefore not surprising that a well-calibrated material model may exhibit satisfactory performance in many applications but behave unfavourably in certain other cases. Modelling the response of reinforced concrete structures to blast load presents such an important scenario in which the demands on the concrete material model are considerably different from high-pressure scenarios for example high-velocity impact or penetration. This paper stems from an initial modelling undertaking in association with the Blind Blast Contest organised by the ACI Committee 370, and extends to a detailed scrutiny of the demands on the concrete material model in terms of preserving a realistic representation of the tension/shear behaviour and the implications in a reinforced concrete response environment. Targeted modifications are proposed which demonstrate satisfactory results in terms of rectifying the identified shortcomings and ensuring more robust simulation of reinforced concrete response to blast loading.

Six normal and high-strength reinforced concrete slabs were subjected to simulated blast loading using a Blast Loading Simulator at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineering Research and Design Center. A blind prediction contest was sponsored to evaluate the effectiveness of various modelling approaches to predict the blast response of the normal and high-strength concrete slabs. This paper describes a contest submission in the single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) category generated using software program RCBlast. RCBlast was developed to perform inelastic analysis of structural members subjected to blast-induced shock waves. The program uses a lumped inelasticity approach to generate resistance functions for SDOF analysis. Incorporated into the development of the resistance functions were: material models and dynamic increase factors (DIF) appropriate for normal and high-strength concrete and steel reinforcement; member modelling capable of describing the gradual formation and progression of plastic behavior, and; hysteric modelling to account degradation in stiffness and energy dissipation.

The structural response assessment of reinforced concrete slabs subjected to impulsive loads due to a detonation of an explosive is an essential task for the design of blast resistant concrete structures. Nonlinear dynamic finite element methods and analytical modeling provide a valuable tool for predicting the response and assessing the safety of a reinforced concrete component. The proposed Finite Element analysis and analytical modeling approaches were validated using a series of shock tube tests conducted on conventionally constructed and high strength reinforced concrete slabs by the University of Missouri Kansas City at the Engineering Research and Design Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The aim of the paper is to present the modeling techniques adopted in both the Finite Element and analytical modeling approaches in order to conduct the structural response assessment of RC slabs subjected to impulsive loads due to detonations. The numerical modeling was conducted utilizing LS-Dyna® finite element software package. The analytical approach utilized a fiber analysis method coupled with a single degree of freedom time stepping method. The constitutive models, loading and boundary conditions utilized are discussed in detail.

A batch of blast resistance reinforced concrete slabs were tested in the shock tube facility at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC). Based on the results from the tests, a blind numerical simulation contest was announced by UMKC in collaboration with the American Concrete Institute (ACI). The authors of this paper participated in the contest and received the test results only after completing their simulations. In this paper two basic numerical approaches are described. The first is a preliminary section rigidity assessment and the second is a full numerical simulation performed with the LS-DYNA code. The numerical results are compared with the UMKC test results and the influence of the numerical parameters is further discussed. The section rigidity assessment approach is then used to explain some unexpected results.