Dynamic Behavior Analysis of I-Shaped RC Beams under Combined Blast and Impact Loads

Abstract

The existing literature mainly focuses on the research of reinforced concrete (RC) beams under a single load such as blast or impact. In this paper, the slab–rib–slab RC beam, a new type of structure widely used in bridge structures, was taken as the research object. The explicit dynamic analysis software LS-DYNA was used to numerically analyze the dynamic response and failure behavior of I-shaped RC beams under combined blast and impact loads. For this reason, an effective numerical analysis model was obtained by carrying out experiments on I-shaped RC beams under contact explosion. The key factors affecting the dynamic response of the structure under combined loads were numerically analyzed. Numerical results showed that different load application sequences have important effects on the dynamic response of the structure. When the impact load was first applied to the structure, more severe concrete damage and deformation occured in the depth direction of the beam. However, when the blast load was first applied to the structure, the concrete at the lower flange was damaged in the span direction of the beam due to tension, and no large-scale concrete spallation occurred in the depth direction. This was mainly due to the different mechanisms of blast and impact loads. In addition, the vulnerability of the I-shaped RC beams varied with some structural parameters, including span, depth, and configuration of reinforcement. At the same time, the results showed that the structure is more sensitive to changes in structural parameters when it is first subjected to impact loads.