Reinforced concrete and fiber reinforced concrete panels subjected to blast detonations and post-blast static tests

•Performance was described as medium, very low, and below antiterrorism standards.•FRC panels reinforced with steel rebar performed better than any other panel.•Externally applied GFRP laminates improved the performance of RC panels.•Failure of panels with steel bars was ductile but that with GFRP bars was brittle.•Radial cracks under blast-induced shear were different from static shear cracks.

Results of an experimental study of reinforced concrete panels under blast detonations are presented. The primary purpose of the tests was to collect data for validating simulation methods for blast loads. The scaled distance ranged from 0.41 m/(kg)1/3 to 0.57 m/(kg)1/3 and hence the tests are close-in detonations. Four types of 1.2 m square panels were subjected to blast to investigate the performance of new walls: reinforced concrete (RC) panels; fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) panels without additional reinforcement; FRC panels reinforced with steel bars; and RC panels reinforced with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. Another RC panel type was built which was retrofitted with external GFRP laminates on both faces. The performance of the panels is classified into three categories as medium protection, very low protection, and protection below antiterrorism standards. FRC panels reinforced with steel bars had the best performance for new construction. Panels that survived the blast detonation without sustaining a breach were tested under monotonic static loads to determine their static post-blast load resistance.