Investigating the response of steel structure to multi-axis, long duration blast and thermal loading

Abstract

Arising in the far-field of large explosions, long duration blast events are typically defined as having a positive phase duration in excess of 40ms. Capable of engulfing entire buildings, long duration blast waves can result in significant damage to a multitude of compression elements, potentially leading to total structural collapse. Current guidelines provide simple empirical methods for estimating peak response and damage state of a column to blast loading. These methods neglect more complex situations such as non-orthogonal structural orientation, combined blast and thermal loading or column position within a frame: all requiring extensive experimentation or numerical modelling to determine a damage state.

In this thesis, multi-axis, thermal and frame interaction effects on the structural response of a column to long duration blast were explored. One phase of experimental testing improved the understanding of explosive thermal energy application to I-section surfaces. Another phase of testing explored the response of partially-clad frames to long duration blast utilising experimental findings, an extensive numerical study was undertaken, exploring the response of a column to large scale blast events including combinations of all three effects. Results were quantified and consolidated into a series of end-user charts, akin to those found in the current design standards. These charts provide a quick and simple means of estimating the maximum displacement and corresponding damage state of a column to long duration blast with multi-axis, thermal and frame interaction effects: reducing future requirement for experimental testing and numerical modelling. Findings indicated that a combination of all effects can have a detrimental impact on response, in some cases increasing damage state from minor to total destruction and collapse for the same column to the same blast event.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Laura Cannon: orcid.org/0000-0002-6421-7298

ORCID for Simon K. Clubley: orcid.org/0000-0003-3779-242X

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