Blast performance of RC columns with different levels of concrete grades and reinforcing ratios

The present article aims to study the behavior of RC columns under blast loading. A nonlinear dynamic Three‐Dimensional (3D) Finite Element FE model‐based explicit solver available in ABAQUS Software is used. A parametric study is investigated to enhance the blast resistance of RC columns under three different scaled distances z of an explosion, that is, 0.23, 0.5, and 1.07 m/kg1/3 for close, intermediate, and Far in‐distance. In addition, three levels of concrete grades are used, which are Normal Strength Concrete (NSC), High Strength Concrete (HSC), and Ultra High‐Performance Concrete (UHPC). The study also considers Three reinforcement ratios for longitudinal and transverse reinforcement ratios of (ρL = 1.28%, 2.4%, and 3.1%) and (ρs = 0.6%, 0.9%, and 1.35%), respectively. Further, three different Axial Load Ratios, ALR = 0.01, 0.2, and 0.4, are considered to examine the effect of increasing ALR on the RC column under close explosion. For more investigation, the parametric analysis considers two geometrical shapes of RC columns (square and circular). The material behaviors of concrete and reinforcing steel bars are represented using Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) and Johnson–Cook (J–C) models, respectively, available in ABAQUS Software. The FE model has been initially validated against experimental study. The FE‐predicted deflection and damage were observed and agreed with the practical cases. In addition, the parametric study's results demonstrate that the RC column's blast deflection is significantly reduced with increasing reinforcement ratios. However, increasing concrete grade could efficiently reduce blast damage and deflection. Furthermore, compared with NSC, UHPC significantly reduced maximum damage and deflection by around 60% for square and 55% for circular columns, respectively.