Numerical simulations of response of tubular steel beams to close-range explosions

• The analysis of SHS section under blast loads is presented.
• Both experimental and numerical studies have been conducted and presented.
• Deformation, energy, pressure and impulse time histories were investigated.
• Effect of concrete as an infill material is highlighted.
• Fracture mechanisms of SHS sections are investigated.

A numerical study of hollow and concrete-filled square tubular steel columns subjected to near-field detonations has been undertaken and validated through the experimental results. The experiments used concrete-filled and hollow square tubular columns (100 × 5 mm SHS Grade C350) made out of cold-formed structural steel hollow sections (SHS) that were simply supported at both ends. High explosives TNT charges were placed above the top surface of the column at two different scaled standoff distances of 0.12 m/kg1/3 and 0.15 m/kg1/3. Failure patterns and permanent mid-span deformations were recorded and compared with the numerical analysis results. Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) formulations coupled with fluid–structure interaction (FSI) algorithms that are available in the advanced finite element code LS-DYNA were used in the numerical study. A detailed description of the numerical technique adopted in the study is presented. The models were validated with the experimental results and were used to obtain the failure pattern, permanent plastic deformation, pressure and impulse time histories, stress distribution, and energy absorption of the different configurations of the columns. The performance of hollow and concrete-filled SHS tubes for blast load mitigation was assessed and discussed.