Abstract:
Blast is an explosion which is a rapid release of potential energy characterized by eruption
enormous energy to the atmosphere. A part of energy is converted to thermal energy radia-
tion (
ash) and a part is coupled as air blast and shock waves which expand radially
The Finite Element Method (FEM) is a numerical technique to nd approximate solutions
of partial di erential equations. It was originated from the need of solving complex elas-
ticity and structural analysis problems in Civil, Mechanical and Aerospace engineering. In
a structural simulation, FEM helps in producing sti ness and strength visualizations. The
solution to the numerical model equations are, in turn, an approximation of the real solu-
tion to the PDEs. The nite element method (FEM) is used to compute such approximations
The terrorist activities and threats have become a growing problem all over the world and
protection of the citizens against terrorist acts involves prediction, prevention and mitigation
of such events. Explosive is widely used for demolition purposes in military applications,
construction or development works, demolitions, etc.
It is, also, a very common terrorist weapon as it is available, easy to produce, compact and
with a great power to cause structural damage and injuries. In this report we have explored
the available literature on blast loads based on standard structural analysis software with
limited linear and non-linear capabilities. Apart from this we have performed mesh sensitivity
analysis by taking into account various mesh sizes and corresponding de
ection is computed.
The analytical results are obtained based on the load vs de
ection curve for linear and non
linear properties of concrete. It is shown that with the present knowledge and common
software, it is possible to perform the analysis of structures exposed to blast loads and to
evaluate their response
