Advanced Computational Dynamics Simulation of Protective Structures Research
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Published: 2008
Total Pages: 41
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DOWNLOAD EBOOKMitigation techniques are currently sought to ensure public safety in the event of intentional or accidental explosions. The use of concrete masonry walls in civilian and military buildings is one of the most common methods of construction. These walls, however, are vulnerable to impulse loads, and can result in collapse, fragmentation and severe injury to occupants. Over the past several years, the Airbase Technologies Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory has investigated methods of retrofitting concrete masonry walls to better resist blast loads from external explosions. One method that was demonstrated to be very effective is the application of thin membranes of high elongation materials to the inside surface of the walls. Due to the nonlinear behavior of concrete masonry walls, the use of advanced simulation techniques provides certain advantages over experiments for full understanding of their structural responses under explosive loads. In the present study, several finite element models were developed according to blast test conditions, and analyzed using LS-DYNA explicit code. Input sensitivity studies were conducted to investigate the variations of a wide range of parameters on wall deformation, damping coefficients, boundary conditions and arching action. The effort has led to cost effective analysis techniques for use by structural engineers in designing membrane retrofit concrete masonry walls subjected to blast loads. This report summarizes the simulation methodologies, challenges, techniques and comparison to full-scale dynamic tests for membrane retrofit concrete masonry walls.
