Experimental and Numerical Study of Non-Explosive Simulated Blast Loading on Reinforced Concrete Slabs

Area of Science:

• Structural Engineering
• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Traditional blast loading simulations often rely on dangerous and costly explosive methods.
• Accurate simulation of blast loads on reinforced concrete (RC) structures is crucial for safety and design.
• Developing safer, more cost-effective alternatives for blast simulation is a significant research need.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel non-explosive method for simulating blast loading on RC slabs.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a new blast simulator in replicating blast-induced pressure waves.
• To investigate the influence of various parameters on impact loading characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Experimental testing using a newly developed blast simulator to apply impact loads on RC slabs.
• Numerical simulations to model the blast loading phenomenon and compare with experimental data.
• Parametric studies analyzing the effects of rubber cushion shape (pyramidal vs. planar), impact velocity, and rubber thickness.

Main Results:

• The non-explosive method successfully generated pressure waves analogous to actual blasts in terms of peak pressure and duration.
• Numerical simulations showed good agreement with experimental findings.
• Pyramidal rubber proved more effective than planar rubber as an impact cushion.
• Impact velocity demonstrated the most significant influence on peak pressure and impulse.
• Increasing the upper thickness of pyramidal rubber had a greater impact on load reduction than increasing the bottom thickness.

Conclusions:

• The proposed non-explosive blast simulation method is a safe, cost-effective, and viable alternative to explosive techniques.
• The study provides valuable insights into optimizing impact cushion design and understanding blast loading parameters for RC slabs.
• This research contributes to advancing the field of structural response analysis under extreme loading conditions.