Numerical Study on Parametric Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Column under Blast Loading

Columns are the main load-bearing structure elements in frame structures and outermost columns are the critical structural elements for potential extremist attacks. The explicit nonlinear finite-element method (FEM)-based computer program LS-DYNA is used in this paper to study the response of reinforced concrete (RC) columns subjected to blast loading. The sole objective of this paper is to quantitatively investigate the effect of geometry on the RC columns under a variability of blast loading. An extensive parametric analysis is executed numerically on different shapes of columns to understand the influence of scaled distance, reinforcement ratio, and seismic detailing, after verifying the model with experimental and numerical studies. The responses reveal that the reinforcement ratio, seismic detailing, and scaled distance have a great influence on the blast performance of RC columns with various cross sections. Using the RapidMiner tool, a linear regression analysis is carried out to investigate the most influential parameter. (C) 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.