TY - JOUR
T1 - Experimental Validation and Numerical Analysis of a High-Performance Blast Energy-Absorbing System for Building Structures
AU - Gomes, Gabriel de Jesus
AU - Lúcio, Valter José da Guia
AU - Cismaşiu, Corneliu
AU - Mingote, José Luis
N1 - info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/3599-PPCDT/PTDC%2FECI-EST%2F31046%2F2017/PT#
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/2/24
Y1 - 2023/2/24
N2 - The paper presents a full-scale blast testing experimental campaign conducted on an energyabsorbing connector comprising thin-walled inversion tubes as kernel elements mounted in a façade protective panel. LS-DYNA finite element predictions of the global and local deformation/inversion of the panel/connectors compared reasonably well with the experimental observations. After validation, the numerical model was used to analyze the response of a simple idealized reinforced concrete structure under three blast-loading scenarios: the first two scenarios produce, approximately, the same impulse but are significantly different in terms of load duration and overpressures, and represent a far-field and a near-field scenario (1600 kg TNT at 20 m (i) and 150 kg TNT at 5 m (ii), respectively); the third scenario is more demanding, and consists in a half standoff distance of the second (150 kg TNT at 2.5 m (iii)). These numerical simulations allow to assess the effect of standoff distance and blast loading on the effectiveness of the protective system. One may conclude that the introduction of EACs strongly limits the forces imparted to the protected structure, reducing significantly the corresponding energy absorption demand. Comparing the energy absorbed by the structure in different scenarios, with and without the protective system (8 × ϕ64 × 2 mm), one can see that these reductions can reach, respectively 67%, 72% and 68% in the far-field, near-field and very near-field explosions.
AB - The paper presents a full-scale blast testing experimental campaign conducted on an energyabsorbing connector comprising thin-walled inversion tubes as kernel elements mounted in a façade protective panel. LS-DYNA finite element predictions of the global and local deformation/inversion of the panel/connectors compared reasonably well with the experimental observations. After validation, the numerical model was used to analyze the response of a simple idealized reinforced concrete structure under three blast-loading scenarios: the first two scenarios produce, approximately, the same impulse but are significantly different in terms of load duration and overpressures, and represent a far-field and a near-field scenario (1600 kg TNT at 20 m (i) and 150 kg TNT at 5 m (ii), respectively); the third scenario is more demanding, and consists in a half standoff distance of the second (150 kg TNT at 2.5 m (iii)). These numerical simulations allow to assess the effect of standoff distance and blast loading on the effectiveness of the protective system. One may conclude that the introduction of EACs strongly limits the forces imparted to the protected structure, reducing significantly the corresponding energy absorption demand. Comparing the energy absorbed by the structure in different scenarios, with and without the protective system (8 × ϕ64 × 2 mm), one can see that these reductions can reach, respectively 67%, 72% and 68% in the far-field, near-field and very near-field explosions.
KW - blast mitigation
KW - blast protection
KW - blast testing
KW - energy-absorbing connectors
KW - façade protective cladding
KW - free external inversion
KW - inverted tubes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85152683936&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/buildings13030601
DO - 10.3390/buildings13030601
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85152683936
SN - 2075-5309
VL - 13
JO - Buildings
JF - Buildings
IS - 3
M1 - 601
ER -