Numerical Simulation of FRP Sandwich Panels under Blast Effects
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 31, Issue 1
Abstract
Mitigation of blast effects caused by accidental explosions is one of the major challenges in structural engineering. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sandwich panels offer promising systems for blast mitigation applications due to their considerable energy absorption compared to other materials with similar density. The FRP sandwich panels can have different inner core configurations that can be filled with other materials whenever needed. This paper numerically evaluates the effectiveness of new FRP honeycomb sandwich panels in resisting blast loads. A numerical model has been created using nonlinear explicit finite element simulation. Then, the model has been validated using the experimental field tests in the literature. Twelve FRP panels with different inner core configurations have been proposed to enhance the panels’ performance by reducing their peak deformation and increasing their energy dissipation. The paper also investigates the effect of filling the FRP sandwich panels with sand on the panels’ blast resistance. The analyses have shown that the FRP panels utilizing the new core configurations are able to dissipate more than twice the energy compared to the experimental panels with even less deformations. It has been found that using sand as a filling material provides a damping medium that enhances the panels’ behavior under blast effect.
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Acknowledgments
The financial support of the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is highly appreciated. The authors also would like to thank Dr. Mostafa Mohamed Abdel Wahab for his guidance and support throughout this research work.
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Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 31 • Issue 1 • February 2017
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 4, 2015
Accepted: Apr 29, 2016
Published online: Jul 13, 2016
Discussion open until: Dec 13, 2016
Published in print: Feb 1, 2017
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