ABSTRACT
Ensuring the robustness of columns in critical facilities under bomb blast has become a key concern of many owners. These structures may fail catastrophically when subjected to high bomb blast loads, which could lead to a progressive collapse of the entire building. This paper presents experimental results on the high performance of innovative ductility enhancement systems for concrete columns subjected to blast loads. The results show that columns retrofitted with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates provided higher blast resistance, significantly higher ductility in terms of longer plastic hinge compared to nonretrofitted columns. Columns retrofitted with CFRP laminate containing woven ±45˚ CFRP fabrics developed longer yield lengths than those that had only unidirectional fabrics when subjected to the same blast loads. CFRP strengthening laminate including woven ±45˚ CFRP fabric improved the ductility of the column.
