Dynamic response and damage analysis of steel box wall under internal blast loading

Abstract

Different loading conditions, different structural dimensions, or different structural materials will lead to different damage results. In this study, blast experiment of steel box model under internal explosion was conducted and the numerical methods are validated through comparison of experimental and numerical results. Then, a series of multi-box models were built, and a large number of numerical simulations considering two kinds of steel, different plate thickness ranging from 0.005 to 0.025 m, and different TNT explosive mass ranging from 5 to 2000 kg were carried out using the validated numerical methods. Two damage modes, convex damage and concave damage, were observed. The dynamic response and damage mechanism were analyzed, and the results show that the different damage modes of the first wall will lead to different damage results of the second wall. Through dimensional analysis, a two-dimensional dimensionless number for internal blast analysis was suggested. Clear physical meanings are conveyed in the dimensionless number. After that, prediction of the damage modes was studied using the proposed dimensionless number. A damage mode map was plotted based on the two-dimensional dimensionless number, and an empirical equation for rapid prediction of damage mode of steel box wall under internal blast loading is proposed.