Blast response comparison of multiple steel frame connections

When a structural steel frame is subjected to blast, the beam-to-column connections, which are responsible for load transfer between different members within the frame, play a major role in structural response. This paper presents results of a comparative finite element analysis of a steel frame subjected to a blast loading from a vehicular threat. The study compared three connection systems referred as standard, TA and SidePlateTM. Connection plate thickness variations were also considered. Strain rate effects were included in the material constitutive model. The pressure–time histories were determined using FEFLO, a general purpose computational fluid dynamics program developed by the Center for Computational Fluid Dynamics at George Mason University. The numerical results were used to compare both the structural response and the constructability of frames with the studied connection types. Three structural response evaluation criteria and three such constructability criteria were used to determine comparative advantages and disadvantages of the TA and SidePlateTM connection types with respect to the standard connection.