Structural Response of Shaped Concrete Units Subjected to Blast Loading: A Parametric Study

This study investigates the structural response of two different concrete structural shapes, rectangular and apsidal, under blast loading. Spherical charges of an emulsion explosive of three different charge weights are considered at seven distinct standoff distances for this parametric study, and the finite element analysis is carried out using the general purpose finite element code LS-DYNA. Forty two simulation runs were carried out. The displacement at a specific node is evaluated for the two structural units, and the results are analysed. The rectangular unit undergoes higher displacements compared to the apsidal unit for all the scenarios considered in the study. Considering the mean values, the peak displacements of the rectangular unit are higher by 390% than the corresponding values for the apsidal unit. The apsidal unit performs better in resisting the explosive loads considered in the study, indicating a better response towards blast resistance.