Blast response and safety evaluation of a composite column for use as key element in structural systems

• Blast response and residual load capacity of a composite column are presented.
• It has superior performance in terms of post blast residual capacity.
• Performance under different credible blast case scenarios is presented.
• It has the potential to be used as a key element in buildings under blast loads.

This paper presents the blast response, damage mechanism and evaluation of residual load capacity of a concrete–steel composite (CSC) column using dynamic computer simulation techniques. This study is an integral part of a comprehensive research program which investigated the vulnerability of structural framing systems to catastrophic and progressive collapse under blast loading and is intended to provide design information on blast mitigation and safety evaluation of load bearing vulnerable columns that are key elements in a building. The performance of the CSC column is compared with that of a reinforced concrete (RC) column with the same dimensions and steel ratio. Results demonstrate the superior performance of the CSC column, compared to the RC column in terms of residual load carrying capacity, and its potential for use as a key element in structural systems. The procedure and results presented herein can be used in the design and safety evaluation of key elements of multi-storey buildings for mitigating the impact of blast loads.