Collapse Analysis of a Reinforced Concrete Frame Due to Middle Column Loss by Explosion

Abstract

The subject of the overall structural collapse under hazardous loads in reinforced concrete frames has been addressed in various researches. However, most of those studies have examined the column removal scenario where one of columns is removed and the load of this column is applied vertically on the upper face to assess the behavior of the frame until failure. One of the shortcomings of the previous mechanism is that it neglects the main reason for the failure of the column and the impact of that reason on the different elements of the structure. The current work presents a numerical investigation of frame collapse as a result of sudden column failure due to an explosive wave. The frame of study has already been tested in a previous work of the author. It was a reinforced concrete frame that has been cast without an intermediate column and then dynamically loaded in the position of the missing column until collapse. In this study, the behavior of that frame is re-evaluated under the effect of instantaneous removal of the middle column due to explosion loads. Analysis was performed using Abaqus software where frame capacity and failure mode were monitored considering different locations of application of incident wave on the target column. Comparing the obtained results with the original model indicated that both capacity and mode of failure differ significantly by changing the location of application of incident wave.