Blast Loading

Types of Explosion
Confined Explosion
Unconfined Explosion

Unconfined

Confined

 The ratio of the peak reflected pressure Pr and the peak incident pressure Pi,
called the reflected pressure coefficient,
can be as much as 13
The magnitude and distribution of the blast loading effectively acting on a
structure vary greatly with
(a) properties of explosive (type of material, quantity of explosive and energy
output),
(b) Location of detonation relative to the structure, and
(c) reflections of shock front on the ground and structure.
The damage in a building depends on the energy imparted to it through the
reflected shock front of explosion, which is contributed by both the positive and
negative phases of the pressure-time history

Blast effects are distinctly different from other hazards,

like earthquakes, winds,
or wave.
several orders of magnitude greater than those
generated by wind or wave.
pressures decay extremely rapidly with distance from
the source.
The duration of the blast shock front is of the order of
milliseconds
Depends on
Standoff distance
angle of incidence,
reflected pressure

Blast load prediction

Computer programs- planar blast analysis can be used
i. ATBLAST of the US General Securities Administration
ii. CONWEP of the US Army Engineer Research and
Development
Center)
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD analysis)

Mechanisms of Damage in Buildings

Local Damage: damage to individual non-structural and structural
components of the building (e.g., non-structural elements like
exterior infill walls and windows, and structural elements like
floor systems (slab and girders),
columns and load-bearing/structural walls).
The building is still intact
Global Damage due to Progressive collapse: The collapse of a
single structural element or few structural elements at a local
level may result in a domino effect and lead to progressive
collapse of a part or the whole building.

Progressive Collapse
(a) Perform structural analysis of the building by removing one important element in
the load path, e.g., column, load-bearing wall or beam, to simulate local damage
from an explosion. The method of analysis can be both linear and nonlinear, and
within that both static as well as dynamic.
(b) Check if the available load path in the remaining structure is able to resist the
loading. If it can, the exercise is repeated by removing another critical element in
theload path. Otherwise, the structure is rendered vulnerable.
(c) If in all possible cases of removal of an important member in the load path, one at a
time, the structure is able to resist the loading, the structure is said to meet the
progressive collapse requirement.

Design Methods
Indirect Method: improve structural integrity (Normal
Building)
structural system, locating the main lateral load resisting
systems, proportioning the members, and detailing the
members for ductility

Alternate-Load-Path Method: method is based only on

loads other than the blast loading (Important Buildings)
Specific Local-Resistance Method: (Critical Structures)
includes both the blast loading as well as the nonlinear
response of the structure.
covers both nonlinear and dynamic aspects of structural
response