Modeling Concrete Masonry Walls Subjected to Explosive Loads |
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Authors: | Christopher D. Eamon James T. Baylot James L. O’Daniel |
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Affiliation: | 1Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering Mississippi State Univ., Starkville, MS 39762-9546. 2Research Structural Engineer, U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd., Vicksburg, MS 39180. 3Research Structural Engineer, U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center, 3903 Halls Ferry Rd., Vicksburg, MS 39180.
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Abstract: | Concrete masonry unit walls subjected to blast pressure were analyzed with the finite element method, with the goal of developing a computationally efficient and accurate model. Wall behavior can be grouped into three modes of failure, which correspond to three ranges of blast pressures. Computational results were compared to high-speed video images and debris velocities obtained from experimental data. A parametric analysis was conducted to determine the sensitivity of computed results to critical modeling values. It was found that the model has the ability to replicate experimental results with good agreement. However, it was also found that, without knowledge of actual material properties of the specific wall to be modeled, computational results are not reliable predictors of wall behavior. |
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Keywords: | Finite element method Walls Blast loads Explosions Concrete masonry Concrete structures Concrete blocks Nonlinear analysis |
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