Analysis of building collapse under blast loads

The analysis of the structural failure of a reinforced concrete building caused by a blast load is presented in this paper. All the process from the detonation of the explosive charge to the complete demolition, including the propagation of the blast wave and its interaction with the structure is reproduced. The analysis was carried out with a hydrocode. The problem analysed corresponds to an actual building that has suffered a terrorist attack. The paper includes comparisons with photographs of the real damage produced by the explosive charge that validates all the simulation procedure. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.