POST-BLAST RESIDUAL CAPACITY OF REINFORCED CONCRETE COLUMN: A NUMERICAL STUDY

The failure of engineering structures due to frequent blast incidents results in significant fatalities and economic losses and must be designed to resist such tragic events. RC columns are critical structural elements, failure of which can cause progressive collapse. This study evaluates the post-blast residual capacity of the RC column using the finite element (FE) model in LS-Dyna. Parameters such as scaled distance, and initial axial load ratio are utilized to evaluate blast and subsequent quasi-static loading response. The residual axial capacity and flexural capacity at different levels of axial load are evaluated. The results indicate that both peak and mid-span deflection reduce with an increase in the scaled distance. The effect of initial axial load at a lower scaled distance is minimal, whereas significant improvement is observed for a higher scaled distance. Also, residual lateral load capacity increases with an increased level of axial load and reduced ductility.