Contact explosion response of RC columns: experimental and numerical investigation

There is limited experimental test data available on the response of concrete columns subjected to contact explosions. Columns are the most vulnerable and critical member in any structure and are at risk of contact explosion attacks using small quantities of explosives. A benchmark study for the response of full-scale reinforced concrete (RC) columns subjected to live contact explosions of varying charge mass is presented in this paper. Quantitative and qualitative assessments of damage profiles and the residual axial load capacity of the columns are presented. The experimental data were used to establish a set of validated numerical LS-Dyna models that were used for parametric studies to establish the influence of various design parameters on the response. The results of the parametric studies showed that the demolition charge mass for an RC column is considerably lower than the breaching charge mass for an RC slab of the same depth and material properties. Concrete strength was found to have a limited influence on the residual axial capacity of blast-damaged columns.