Analysis of Blast‐Loaded, Buried RC Arch Response. Part II: Application

Abstract

A hybrid numerical approach, which combines the finite difference technique and the finite element method, is coupled with a nonlocal continuum damage/plasticity model for plain concrete, a rate‐dependent cap model for soil, and an elastic/strain hardening plasticity model for steel. The resulting approach is applied in the analyses of two shallow buried reinforced concrete arches that were blast loaded (using explosive‐generated pressures applied to the soil surface) in separate test programs. The geometry and structural detailing of the two specimens are different, as are the soil properties, depths of burial, and the surface blast pressures. The comparisons between the predictions and the test results are shown to agree well overall. The numerical results are discussed in light of the test data in order to better understand the structural mechanisms that develop during testing. The discrepancies between the test data and the numerical results are discussed and corrections to the model are proposed.