Analysis and Experimental Evaluation of In-Fill Steel-Stud Wall Systems under Blast Loading

Abstract

To be able to develop and advance blast-retrofit technologies, it is crucial first to be able to develop prediction methodologies and engineering design tools. Therefore, this paper will present the analytical modeling and experimental evaluation of steel-stud wall systems under blast loads. The results of the static full-scale wall tests, as well as the component tests, are used to evaluate the structural performance of the walls and provide recommendations for blast-retrofit systems. The analytical and experimental static results are used to develop the static resistance function for the wall systems, which is incorporated into a single degree of freedom dynamic model. The dynamic model will enable designers to predict the level of performance of the wall system under any explosion threat level. The analytical model conservatively predicted the measured field results with a maximum difference of 20%. The paper will discuss the performance of blast-retrofit wall systems under static and dynamic field tests simulating large vehicle bombs.