Blast Resistance Comparison of Strand Cable Shields Based on Experiments and Simulations

In this study, the blast-resistant performance of protected strand cables subjected to contact explosions was investigated experimentally and numerically. Four types of protective shields, including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), single steel tube (SST), double steel tube (DST), and foamed aluminum-filled steel tube (FAFST) were compared. Field blast tests were carried out on five strand cable specimens, consisting of one bare cable and four protected cables with different shields. Accordingly, high-fidelity physics-based numerical models were developed in the simulation software ANSYS/LS-DYNA (version 19.0) and verified by the experimental results. The damage mechanism and energy absorption of the protected strand cables subjected to contact explosions were further investigated based on the verified models. The results indicate that the FAFST shield is the most effective in mitigating blast damage, with a decrease of 40% in the damage index (D). The foamed aluminum core effectively enhanced the energy absorption capacity of the FAFST shield and simultaneously inhibited the generation of fragments. The HDPE shield alleviated the damage of strand cable by 20%, which also exhibited good protection ability. The SST and DST shields showed no positive influence, but aggravated the cable damage because of the penetration effect of the steel tube fragments on the inner strands. It should be noted that the comparative results are specific to the current loading conditions. Variations in factors such as charge size and shape, standoff distance, or cable prestress might lead to different outcomes. Nevertheless, the results can still offer valuable reference for selecting and designing blast-resistant protection structures for cable-stayed systems.