Design of metal hollow section tubular columns subjected to transverse blast loads

• FE models of metal SHS under transverse blast are validated against experiments.
• Models then consider boundary conditions and blast environments typical to columns.
• A design model is validated for metal tubular columns under transverse impact or blast.
• Consideration of local deformation is important for blast design of tubular columns.

Engineers are increasingly expected to consider dynamic loads in the design of structures due to increased security demands and as a result of accidental or intentional impact or explosive events, for example in the construction, infrastructure, offshore, mining, protective and security industries. Metal hollow section tubular columns are used extensively in such applications, however currently no blast design procedures exist for such sections. Recent experimental studies have shown that such sections often sustain substantial local deformations and/or collapse of the cross-section, in addition to global (overall) transverse displacement of the member, when subjected to transverse blast load. These studies investigated a limited range of boundary conditions and blast environments due to the limitations of laboratory testing. The present paper validates numerical models of these experiments, and then extends the numerical models to consider a broad range of geometric properties, boundary conditions and blast conditions typical to axial compression members. The numerical results are used to develop generalised design methods for metal hollow section columns subjected to transverse blast loads. The design model is unified with a recently developed model for tubular columns subjected to transverse impact, providing a generalised solution for the design of metal tubular columns for dynamic loads. Accounting for the development of local deformation of the cross-section is shown to be especially important in the blast design of such members.