ABSTRACT
This paper presents the results of numerical modelling of square tubular beams subjected to a uniform blast load. Three case studies of a compact, non-compact and slender beam each subjected to a uniform blast to produce large inelastic deformation are presented. A commercial finite element code, LS-DYNA, is utilised for this purpose. The tubes are cold-formed square hollow sections used in structural and building applications that are simply supported. In the slender beam the section’s webs were found to collapse locally before overall beam bending deformations occurred. Due to the simplicity of the geometry the whole beam was modelled. The overall beam bending and local web deformations and failure load thresholds are presented. The finite element code LS-DYNA was found to produce accurate results, when compared to the experimental results of the blast loaded compact simply supported hollow square beam published by Wegener and Martin. The validation of the simply supported beam is also presented in this paper.
