Study of Influence of Blast Loading On High
Performance Concrete Structural Elements
Vishal Tomar
M.tech (Structural Engg.)
NIT Kurukshetra, Kurukshetra
vishalkrtomar@gmail.com
Abstract - In this paper the study of stress, strain,
load deformation characteristics, deflection associated
characteristics of high performance concrete (HPC)
structural element under blast loading conditions was
investigated. An overhead blast load subjected to an
interior roof beam was taken as the structural element
for which analysis and design has been done. Low
pressure design range was assumed for the design of the
beam because the detonation has been occurring at some
distance away from the face of the beam. So beam was
not subjected to any kind of reflected pressure. Finite
element modelling has been carried out by finite element
program ANSYS. The total deformation was verified by
comparing the manual and ANSYS results.
Index   Terms   ­  High Performance Concrete, Low
Pressure Design Range, Reflected Pressure, Detonation
I. INTRODUCTION
As a result accidental or intentional activities around
the world that target important infrastructure. So we
need to design the structure such that they can
withstand the blast load. For example, military
buildings, government structures, embassies, power
plant, hospitals are the potential targets of terrorist.
When a reinforced concrete element is dynamically
loaded, the element deflects until such time that the
strain energy of the element is developed sufficiently to
balance the kinetic energy produced by the blast load
and the element comes to rest or fragmentation of the
concrete occurs resulting in either partial or total
collapse of the element. A structural element subjected
to a blast loading exhibits a higher strength than a
similar element subjected to a static loading. This
increase in strength for both the concrete and
reinforcement is attributed to the rapid rates of Strain
that occur in dynamically loaded members. These
increased stresses or dynamic strengths are used to
calculate the element's dynamic resistance to the
applied blast load. Thus, the dynamic ultimate
resistance of an element subjected to a blast load is
greater than its static ultimate resistance. Both the
concrete and reinforcing steel exhibit greater strength
under rapid strain rates. The higher the strain rate, the
higher the compressive strength of concrete and the
higher the yield and ultimate strength of the
Dr. H.K. Sharma
Professor and Head Department of Civil
Engg., NIT Kurukshetra, Kurukshetra
hksharma1010@yahoo.co.in
reinforcement. UFC 3 340 02 manual is used for the
numerical simulation of blast pressure diagram and
design of the structure element. B.M. Luccioni et al
perform the analysis on building which is subjected to
blast load and compared the analysis result with actual
collapse building suffered from terrorist attack. They
also made the comparisons with photographs of the
real damage produced by the explosive charge that
validates the simulation procedure. Na-Hyun Yi et al
made an experimental setup of ultra-high performance
concrete (UHPC) and reactive powder concrete (RPC)
structural elements subjected to explosions. They
evaluate blast resistance capacities experimentally of
UHPC structural elements and determine the
possibility of use of UHPC and RPC concrete structural
element subjected to terrorist attack. T. Ngo  et   al
introduced different methods to estimate blast loads
and structural response  and requirements on ductility
levels also help improve the building performance
under severe load conditions. Osman Shallan et al
investigated, through numerical simulations on the
effects of blast loads on three buildings with different
aspect ratios. Finite element models of these buildings
were developed using the finite element program
AUTODYN. Yanchao Shi et al numerical simulations
had been carried out to study the blast wave interaction
with a standalone structure column. They was also
founded that when the blast wave–column interaction
is considered, the interaction effect will slightly
decrease the positive reflected pressure and increases
the positive reflected impulse. Ulrika Nystrom et al had
done the numerical simulation to study the combine
blast and fragment loading effects on a reinforced
concrete wall. Simulations of the response of a wall
strip subjected to blast loading, fragment loading,
combined blast and fragment loading were conducted
and the results were compared.
II. DESIGN AND LOAD DETAILS OF THE
PROBLEM
A. Load Details : 
The   site   scenario   was   assumed   that   a   detonation   of
charge   about   290   lbs   (131.5   Kg)   happened   at   10   m
above and 10 m away from the point of interest. Using
of graphs and tables mentioned in the design manual
UFC3   340   02   pressure   and   time   graph   has   been
developed. It was found that the explosion develops the
positive   peek   pressure   of   18   Psi   (124.1   KN/m 2)   and
negative   peek   pressure   2   Psi   (13.8   KN/m 2)   with   the
time duration of 13.38ms and 58.3ms respectively. The
typical blast pressure diagram shown in fig. 1. 

Fig. 2 Plan view of the beam

Fig. 1 Blast Pressure diagram

B. Design Details: 
In the problem an interior roof beam  of 450mm width
800 mm depth 6000mm length, which is caste with a
monolithic slab of dimensions 200 mm depth 4000 mm
width 6000 mm length of one panel as shown in Fig.2
Material properties were assumed as Fe 415 and M80
grade of steel and concrete respectively. Support of the
beam assumed to be fixed. Maximum rotation allowed
at   supports   10.   Because   concrete   and   steel   exhibits
higher strength in dynamic loading so yield strength of
the   material   were   increased   by   use   of   a   dynamic
increase factor. The dynamic increase factor from table
4­1   in   ufc3   340   02   is   used   for   low   pressure   design
range­ Reinforced steel:  Bending­ 1.17, Direct  shear­
1.1   Concrete:   Compression:   1.19   Direct   shear:   1.1
Diagonal  tension:   1.  Five  numbers  of   16mm  dia   bar
used in tension and compression zone. 12mm dia bar
used   for   the   shear   reinforcement   with   spacing   of
450mm   centre   to   centre.   40mm   cover   taken   on   the
bottom   and   the   sides   of   the   beam   and   50mm   cover
taken at the top of beam as shown in Fig.3.  reinforcement bars. This element has eight nodes and
Fig. 3 Section view and reinforcement detailing of
beam
III. ANALYSIS MODEL FOR REINFORCED
CONCRETE BEAM
ANSYS was used for the analysis of the designed
beam. Designed interior beam is taken as reference
beam used in the finite element program ANSYS. In
the software explicit dynamics (AUTODYN) solver is
used for analysis of beam. The load was applied to the
beam is in tabular form of pressure time diagram.
A. Details of model:
All the dimension and reinforcement detailing of
interior roof beam taken same as designed beam as
mentioned in Fig. 3. Size of element for meshing was
taken 100mm. SOLID 65 representing concrete element
and LINK 180 to represent steel has been used. SOLID
65 have crushing and cracking capabilities which helps
in identifying failure. It can be used for three
dimensional modeling of solids with or without
each node has three translational degrees of freedom.
 Properties Values
Density 2300 kg/m 3
Young’s Modulus 30000 MPa
Poisson’s Ratio 0.18
Bulk Modulus 15625 MPa
Shear Modulus 12712 MPa
Tensile Yield Strength 6.26 MPa
Compressive Yield Strength 80 MPa
Tensile Ultimate Strength 8.125 MPa
Compressive Ultimate 93.714 MPa
Strength
Isotropic Thermal 0.72 W/m-C
Conductivity
Specific Heat 780 J/kg-C
Coefficient of Thermal 1.4E-05 C-1
Expansion

Fig. 4 Meshed model of Beam

IV. SOFTWARE VERIFICATION

ANSYS   is   used   for   modelling   of   interior   beam

subjected to overhead blast pressure in this study. So
first accuracy of the model generated has been verified
by comparing the total deformation value of ANSYS
result and result obtained from manual calculations. In
the   manual   method,   the   equivalent   elastic   deflection
was computed by the formula,
    
                XE = ru/KE     ­­­­­ (1)

Where, XE = equivalent elastic deflection

ru = Ultimate resistance
Fig. 5 Meshed model of reinforcement of beam
ru = 8(MN + MP) / L2 -----(2)

B. Material Properties: Where, MN = ultimate negative moment capacity

Following material properties were assigned to at supports
concrete and steel elements in modelling of reinforced MP = ultimate positive moment capacity
concrete beam. at mid span
L = span of beam
Table­1 Steel reinforcement properties KE = equivalent elastic stiffness
Properties Values
KE = 307 Ec Ia / L4 ------ (3)
Density 7850 kg/m3
Young’s Modulus 200000 MPa Where, Ec = modulus of elasticity of concrete
Poisson 0.3 Ia = average of gross and cracked moment of
Bulk Modulus 166670 MPa inertia
Shear Modulus 76923 MPa Above equation 1, 2, 3 taken from the design criteria of
Tensile Yield Strength 415 MPa reinforced concrete structural element in UFC3 340 02.
Plastic Strain Failure 0.02 Maximum deflection during the detonation occurs in
the mid span of the beam was calculated using the
Table-2 Concrete properties above equation and the result was 1.27 mm. ANSYS
generates maximum deflection results in form of
deformation versus time. Table 3 shows every value of
total deformation at every time interval of total
explosion time.

Table 3 Total deformation value with respect to time
Time (ms) Deformation value(mm)
1 0.25
2 0.5
3 0.75
4 1
5.4 1.45
5.8 1.41

Fig. 6 Time Deflection Curve

Through the results of ANSYS it was found that the

maximum value of deformation of all the values is
little higher than the manual calculated deflection but
they are fairly similar. Variation about twelve percent
was found by comparing both ANSYS and manual
simulated value because of the method used in ANSYS
and manual, finite element method and UFC3 340 02
Design criteria of the reinforced concrete element
respectively.

V. ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

All the results computed in the form of equivalent
stress, maximum shear stress, equivalent strain,
maximum elastic shear strain, energy absorption and
total deformation. Because the values of pressure
changing with the reference of time, so all the results
computed through ANSYS are with respect to time as
shown below.
 Fig. 8 Equivalent stress and maximum shear stress
graph with time (ms)

Fig. 9 Equivalent elastic strain and Maximum shear

strain graph with time (ms)

Fig. 7 Stress, Strain, Shear stress, Shear strain, Energy,

Total deformation pattern
Fig. 10 Internal Energy and time graph with time (ms)
Table 4 Equivalent Stress Maximum Shear Stress with
time
Time(ms) Equivalent Maximum
 Stress (MPa) Shear Stress strength concrete used in this beam imparts great
(MPa) compressive strength against the blast loading and
0.122 0.20986 0.12109 tensile strength made the resistance over the erosion of
0.584 1.0249 0.5654 the concrete. From the results it was also seen that the
1.17 2.136 1.163 concrete resist most of the load and absorb much
2.10 4.2415 2.2934
energy coming from the blast load, very least amount
2.57 5.0567 2.5609
3.85 9.2423 4.6588 of energy or load was transferred to the reinforcement
5.37 12.184 6.1363 of the beam. So use of high performance concrete we
5.84 11.787 5.9336 can make the structural element of reduced section and
also make the structure safe in shear. So by use of
Table 5 Equivalent elastic strain and Maximum shear combinations like steel and concrete we can make a
strain variation with time good and economical section against the blast load.
Equivalent
Maximum shear REFERENCES
Time [ms] elastic strain
strain(mm/mm)
(mm/mm) [1]B.M. Luccioni, R.D. Ambrosini, R.F. Danesi, Analysis of building
0.122 9.53E-06 7.00E-06 collapse under blast loads.
[2]Na-Hyun Yi, Jang-Ho Jay Kim, Tong-Seok, Yun-Gu Cho, Jang Hwa
0.584 4.45E-05 3.42E-05 Lee, Blast resistance characteristics of ultra-high strength concrete and
1.17 9.15E-05 7.12E-05 reactive powder concrete.
[3]T. Ngo, P. Mendis, A. Gupta & J. Ramsay, Blast loading and blast
2.10 1.80E-04 1.41E-04 effects on structures.
2.57 2.01E-04 1.69E-04 [4]Osman Shallan, Atef Eraky, Tharwat Sakr, Shimaa Emad, Response
of building structures to blast effects.
3.85 3.66E-04 3.08E-04 [5]Unified facility criteria (UFC3 340 02),”Structure to resist the effect
5.37 4.83E-04 4.06E-04 of accidental explosion.”
[6]Yanchao Shi, Hong Hao, Zhong-Xian Li, Numerical simulation to
5.84 4.67E-04 3.93E-04 study the blast wave interaction with structure column.
[7]Ulrika Nystrom, Kent Gylltoft, Numerical studies of the combined
effects of blast and fragment loading.
Table 6 Energy absorbed by beam with respect to time [8]Sarah De Carufel, Frederic Dagenais, Christian Melancon and
Time (ms) Energy(J/t) Hassan Aoude, Effect of Design Parameters on the Blast Response of
Ultra High Performance Concrete Column.
0.122 0.30607 [9]Jun Lia, Hong Haob, Chengqing Wu, Numerical study of precast
0.471 5.1327 segmental column under blast loads.
[10]Conrad Kyei, Abass Braimah, Effects of transverse reinforcement
1.17 36.183 spacing on the response of reinforced concrete columns subjected to
2.10 157.01 blast loading.

2.57 303.17
3.85 1033.4
5.37 1804
5.84 1691.5

From above figure, tables and graphs it was found that

the beam is able to resist the distribution of stresses,
strains, and energy absorption and total deformation.
Erosion and any kind of damage were not found in
concrete as well as in reinforcement. From fig. 8, fig. 9
it can easily see that the beam is safe in maximum
shear stress and maximum shear strain in comparison
of equivalent stress and equivalent elastic strain.
Because of good tensile and resistance capacity of high
performance concrete. Fig. 10 shows the energy
absorption capacity of the beam.

VI. CONCLUSION
After the analysis and detail study of the above results
of the beam it was concluded that the designed beam
have much capability to resist the blast load. High