Title: Blast Behaviour of Ultra High Strength CRC Columns

Author(s): Russell P. Burrell, Hassan Aoude and Murat Saatcioglu

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 293

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 1-18

Keywords: Steel fibers, SFRC, UHPFRC, CRC, Columns, Blast, Shock Tube.

DOI: 10.14359/51686239

Date: 10/4/2013

Abstract:
CRC, short for Compact Reinforced Composite, is an ultra high performance fiber reinforced concrete developed by the Danish cement producer Aalborg Portland in 1986. CRC has very high compressive strength combined with a large volume of steel fibers, which also gives the material improved tensile capacity and toughness. These properties make CRC ideal for use in the blast-resistant design of structures. This research study presents the results of an experimental program examining the blast performance of UHPFRC columns constructed with CRC. Six half-scale columns were tested under simulated blast loading using state-of-the art shock-tube testing facilities at the University of Ottawa. Two specimens were constructed with traditional concrete (SCC was used to facilitate placement) and four specimens were constructed with CRC. The test parameters included concrete type (SCC and CRC), transverse reinforcement spacing (non-seismic and seismic detailing) as well as fiber content (2%, 4% and 6% for the CRC specimens). The results show that ultra-high performance concretes such as CRC improve the blast performance of columns in terms of maximum and residual displacements. In addition the use of CRC results in marked improvements in terms of damage tolerance and elimination of secondary blast fragments. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the use of seismic detailing in both traditional concrete and CRC specimens improves blast performance. Finally the paper demonstrates that the use of single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) analysis can be used to predict the blast response of CRC columns with reasonable accuracy.