• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.569-585
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• 2013

The use of the rigid polyurethane foam (RPF) to strengthen sandwich structures against blast terror has great interests from engineering experts in structural retrofitting. The aim of this study is to use the RPF to strengthen sandwich steel structure under blast load. The sandwich steel structure is assembled to study the RPF as structural retrofitting. The filed blast test is conducted. The finite element analysis (FEA) is also used to model the sandwich steel structure under shock wave. The sandwich steel structure performance is studied based on detonating different TNT explosive charges. There is a good agreement between the results obtained by both the field blast test and the numerical model. The RPF improves the sandwich steel structure performance under the blast wave propagation.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.717-725
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• 2018

One of the most important design criteria in military tunnels and armoured doors is to resist the blast loads with minimum structural weight. This can be achieved by using steel sandwich panels. In this paper, the nonlinear behaviour of steel sandwich panels, with different core materials: (1) Hollow (no core material); (2) Rigid Polyurethane Foam (RPF); and (3) Vulcanized Rubber (VR) under free air blast loads, was investigated using detailed 3D nonlinear finite element models in Ansys Autodyn. The accuracy of the finite element model proposed was verified using available experimental test data of a similar steel sandwich panel tested. The results show the developed finite element model can be reliably used to simulate the nonlinear behaviour of the steel sandwich panels under free air blast loads. The verified finite element model was used to examine the different parameters of the steel sandwich panel with different core materials. The result shows that the sandwich panel with RPF core material is more efficient than the VR sandwich panel followed by the Hollow sandwich panels. The average maximum displacement of RPF sandwich panel under different ranges of TNT charge (1 kg to 10 kg at a standoff distance of 1 m) is 49% and 53% less than the VR and Hollow sandwich panels, respectively. Detailed empirical design equations were provided to quantify the maximum deformation of the steel sandwich panels with different core materials and core thickness under a different range of blast loads. The developed equations can be used as a guide for engineer to design steel sandwich panels with RPF and VR core material under a different range of free air blast loads.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.767-783
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• 2014

The use of composite materials to strengthen reinforced concrete (RC) structures against blast terror has great interests from engineering experts in structural retrofitting. The composite materials used in this study are rigid polyurethane foam (RPF) and aluminum foam (ALF). The aim of this study is to use the RPF and the ALF to strengthen the RC panels under blast load. The RC panel is considered to study the RPF and the ALF as structural retrofitting. Field blast test is conducted. The finite element analysis (FEA) is also used to model the RC panel under shock wave. The RC panel performance is studied based on detonating different TNT explosive charges. There is a good agreement between the results obtained by both the field blast test and the proposed numerical model. The composite materials improve the RC panel performance under the blast wave propagation.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.589-605
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• 2015

The use of the rigid polyurethane foam (RPF) to strengthen buried structures against blast terror has great interests from engineering experts in structural retrofitting. The aim of this study is to use the RPF to strengthen the buried structures under blast load. The buried structure is considered to study the RPF as structural retrofitting. The Guowei model (Guowei et al. 2010) is considered as a case study. The finite element analysis (FEA) is also used to model the buried structure under shock wave. The buried structure performance is studied based on detonating different TNT explosive charges. There is a good agreement between the results obtained by both the Guowei model and the proposed numerical model. The RPF improves the buried structure performance under the blast wave propagation.