Response Analysis of RC Shear Wall using Finite Element Method Subject to Blast Loads

Abstract

Shear walls are used as one of the primary lateral load resisting components in lightweight framing of low and mid-rise residential constructions. In this thesis, the behavior of reinforced concrete shear wall under blast will be investigated by using finite element method. The finite element model considers geometric nonlinearities caused by large deformation as well as materials nonlinearities. In addition to nonlinearities, study is also carried out to investigate the effect of standoff distance from RC shear wall location to bomb location, radial direction of loading and type of shear wall. In this study, blast load response of RC shear wall with the same mesh size, different standoff distances, and different radial direction of loading and different cross sectional shape was investigated. Finite element model of RC shear wall are developed in ABAQUS 6.13 and the blast loads taken as pressure loads, close in case at1m standoff distance, near field at 3m and 7m standoff distances and also far field cases at 11m standoff distance from the location of RC shear wall. The response of RC shear wall to blast loading studied by using displacement time history curve and von mise stress time history curve for each standoff distances, for the three radial location of loads and for each type of RC shear walls, from this study, it is observed that an increasing the standoff distance from 1m to 11m, decrease the corresponding deflection and stress of the RC shear wall structure. Another result observed from this study is the bomb load placed at rear side of Inverted RC shear wall, the deflection decrease from the three radial directional location of blast. This study concludes, from the three types of RC shear walls, Inverted RC shear wall type is the more effective on resistance of bomb load.