European Journal of Scientific Research

ISSN 1450-216X Vol.45 No.3 (2010), pp.430-437

EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2010
http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr.htm

Non-Linear Analysis of SDOF System under Blast Load

Assal T. Hussein
Asst. Lecturer, College of Engineering
University of Diyala, Iraq
E-mail: structure.2010@yahoo.com
Abstract
This paper presents the analytical methods of a SDOF system analysis subjected to
blast loadings. Two types of blast wave applied for study the non-linear behavior of system,
the analysis focused on displacement time history responses which form the basis for
studying behavior of SDOF System under blast loadings. For two types of blast function
simple pulse, and bilinear pulse, many parameters used for obtained time history plots,
computed energy, and Hysteresis Analysis. The results obtained from a computer program
NON-SDOF clarified the effect of type of blast wave on the behavior of system.

Keywords: Non-Linear Analysis, SDOF, Blast Load, Short Duration

Introduction
In the past few decades considerable emphasis has been given to problems of blast and earthquake. The
earthquake problem is rather old, but most of the knowledge on this subject has been accumulated
during the past fifty years. Due to different accidental or intentional events, the behavior of structural
components subjected to blast loading has been the subject of considerable research effort in recent
years. Conventional structures, particularly that above grade, normally are not designed to resist blast
loads; and because the magnitudes of design loads are significantly lower than those produced by most
explosions, conventional structures are susceptible to damage from explosions. With this in mind,
developers, architects and engineers increasingly are seeking solutions for potential blast situations, to
(1)
protect building occupants and the structures.
Single degree of freedom (SDOF) models have been widely used for predicting dynamic
response of concrete structures subjected to blast loading. The popularity of the SDOF method in blastresistant design lies in its simplicity and cost-effective approach that requires limited input data and
less computational effort. SDOF model gives reasonable good results if the response mode shape is
representative of the real behavior. Accuracy of the dynamic response calculations significantly
depends on whether the adopted resistance function resembles the actual hysteretic behavior of the
structure.

Review of Literature
The analysis of the blast loading on the structure started in 1960s. US Department of the Army,
released a technical manual titled structures to resist the effects of accidental explosions in 1959. The
revised edition of the manual TM 5-1300 (1990) most widely used by military and civilian
organization for designing structures to prevent the propagation of explosion and to provide protection

Non-Linear Analysis of SDOF System under Blast Load

431

for personnel and valuable equipments. The methods available for prediction of blast effects on
buildings structures are:
Empirical (or analytical) methods
Semi-empirical methods
Numerical methods.
Empirical methods are essentially correlations with experimental data. Most of these
approaches are limited by the extent of the underlying experimental database. The accuracy of all
empirical equations diminishes as the explosive event becomes increasingly near field. Semi-empirical
methods are based on simplified models of physical phenomena. The attempt is to model the
underlying important physical processes in a simplified way. These methods are dependent on
extensive data and case study. The predictive accuracy is generally better than that provided by the
empirical methods. Numerical (or first-principle) methods are based on mathematical equations that
describe the basic laws of physics governing a problem. These principles include conservation of mass,
momentum, and energy. In addition, the physical behavior of materials is described by constitutive
relationships.
A. Khadid et al.(2) studied the fully fixed stiffened plates under the effect of blast loads to
determine the dynamic response of the plates with different stiffener configurations and considered the
effect of mesh density, time duration and strain rate sensitivity. He used the finite element method and
the central difference method for the time integration of the nonlinear equations of motion to obtain
numerical solutions
Alexander M. Remennikov (3) studied the methods for predicting bomb blast effects on
buildings. When a single building is subjected to blast loading produced by the detonation of high
explosive device. Simplified analytical techniques used for obtaining conservative estimates of the
blast effects on buildings. Numerical techniques including Lagrangian, Eulerian, Euler-FCT, ALE, and
finite element modelling used for accurate prediction of blast loads on commercial and public
buildings.
T. Ngo, et al.(4) for there study on Blast loading and Blast Effects on Structures gives an
overview on the analysis and design of structures subjected to blast loads phenomenon for
understanding the blast loads and dynamic response of various structural elements. This study helps for
the design consideration against extreme events such as bomb blast, high velocity impacts.
A.K. Pandey et al. (5) studied the effects of an external explosion on the outer reinforced
concrete shell of a typical nuclear containment structure. The analysis has been made using appropriate
non-linear material models till the ultimate stages. An analytical procedure for nonlinear analysis by
adopting the above model has been implemented into a finite element code DYNAIB.

Explosion and Blast Phenomenon

An explosion is defined as a large-scale, rapid and sudden release of energy. Explosions can be
categorized on the basis of their nature as physical, nuclear or chemical events. In physical explosions,
energy may be released from the catastrophic failure of a cylinder of compressed gas, volcanic
eruptions or even mixing of two liquids at different temperatures. In a nuclear explosion, energy is
released from the formation of different atomic nuclei by the redistribution of the protons and neutrons
within the interacting nuclei, whereas the rapid oxidation of fuel elements (carbon and hydrogen
atoms) is the main source of energy in the case of chemical explosions. Explosive materials can be
classified according to their physical state as solids, liquids or gases. Solid explosives are mainly high
explosives for which blast effects are best known. They can also be classified on the basis of their
sensitivity to ignition as secondary or primary explosive. The latter is one that can be easily detonated
by simple ignition from a spark, flame or impact. Materials such as mercury fulminate and lead
primary explosives. Secondary explosives when detonated create blast (shock) waves which can result
in widespread damage to the surroundings. (6)

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Assal T. Hussein

The detonation of a condensed high explosive generates hot gases under pressure up to 300 kilo
bar and a temperature of about 3000-4000C. As a consequence, a layer of compressed air (blast wave)
forms in front of this gas volume containing most of the energy released by the explosion. Blast wave
instantaneously increases to a value of pressure above the ambient atmospheric pressure. This is
referred to as the side-on overpressure that decays as the shock wave expands outward from the
explosion source. After a short time, the pressure behind the front may drop below the ambient
pressure (Figure 1). During such a negative phase, a partial vacuum is created and air is sucked in. This
is also accompanied by high suction winds that carry the debris for long distances away from the
explosion source.
Figure 1: Blast wave Propagation

Time History of Blast Wave Pressure

The observed characteristics of air blast waves are found to be affected by the physical properties of
the explosion source. Figure 2 shows a typical blast pressure profile. At the arrival time tA, following
the explosion, pressure at that position suddenly increases to a peak value of overpressure,Pso, over the
ambient pressure, Po. The pressure then decays to ambient level at time td, then decays further to an
under pressure Pso- (creating a partial vacumn) before eventually returning to ambient conditions at
time td + td-. The quantity Pso is usually referred to as the peak side-on overpressure, incident peak
overpressure or merely peak overpressure (TM 5-1300, 1990).The incident peak over pressures Pso are
amplified by a reflection factor as the shock wave encounters an object or structure in its path. Except
for specific focusing of high intensity shock waves at near 45 incidence, these reflection factors are
typically greatest for normal incidence (a surface adjacent and perpendicular to the source) and
diminish with the angle of obliquity or angular position relative to the source. Reflection factors
depend on the intensity of the shock wave, and for large explosives at normal incidence these reflection
factors may enhance the incident pressures by as much as an order of magnitude. (6)
Figure 2: Blast wave Pressure

Non-Linear Analysis of SDOF System under Blast Load

433

Prediction of Blast Pressure

Blast wave parameters for conventional high explosive materials have been the focus of a number of
studies during the 1950s and 1960s. Estimations of peak overpressure due to spherical blast based on
scaled distance Z = R/W1/3 were introduced by Brode (1955)
(1)

Newmark and Hansen (1961) introduced a relationship to calculate the maximum blast
overpressure, Pso, in bars, for a high explosive charge detonates at the ground surface as:
(2)
Another expression of the peak overpressure in kPa is introduced by Mills (1987), in which W
is expressed as the equivalent charge weight in kilograms of TNT, and Z is the scaled distance:
(3)
As the blast wave propagates through the atmosphere, the air behind the shock front is moving
outward at lower velocity. The velocity of the air particles, and hence the wind pressure, depends on
the peak overpressure of the blast wave. This later velocity of the air is associated with the dynamic
pressure, q(t). The maximum value, qs, say, is based on the dynamic pressure is then likely to be
dominant. Conventional wind-loading pressure coefficients may be used, with the conservative
assumption of instantaneous build-up when the wave passes the plane of the relevant face of the
building, the loads on the front and rear faces being numerically cumulative for the overall load effect
on the structure. Various formulations have been put forward for the rate of decay of the dynamic
pressure loading; a parabolic decay (i.e. corresponding to a linear decay of equivalent wind velocity)
over a time equal to the total duration of positive overpressure is a practical approximation.

Solve Nonlinear Equations of Motion

For nonlinear analyses it is assumed that the physical properties remain constant only for short
increments of time or deformation; accordingly it is convenient to reformulate the response in terms of
the incremental equation of motion.(7)
For Fig.3 The equilibrium of forces acting on the mass at the time t = t0 may be written
(4)
A short time h = t1 - t0 later the equilibrium requirement
(5)
Subtracting Eq. (4) from Eq. (5) then yields the incremental equation of motion
6)
The incremental forces may be expressed as

(7)

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Assal T. Hussein

Where, the terms c(t) and k(t) represent average values of damping and stiffness properties that
may vary during the time increment. Substituting the force expressions of Eqs. (6) into Eq. (7) leads to
the final form of the incremental equilibrium equation for time t:
(8)
The resulting incremental effective static equilibrium equation may be stated as
(9)
Figure 3: Nonlinear Dynamic System (a) Nonlinear Damping (b) Nonlinear Stiffness (c) Applied Load

Numerical Example
Blast loads are typically analyzed using a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model shown in Fig.4. An
SDOF system consists of a mass, and damper. Many parameters considered in a computer program
NON-SDOF for study the non-linear behavior under blast load. Many parameters considered in a
computer program NON-SDOF for study the non-linear behavior under blast load.
Figure 4: SDOF system Model

Table 1:

Input Data

Initial
Stiffness K1
(k/in)
125

Secondary
Stiffness
K2(k/in)
10

Yield
Strength
Fy(k)
200

Lead Time

Ramp Time

Total

Mass (k)
50
Blast Force
Pulse

5.0

Yield
Displacement
(in)
1.60

Max.Force

Time Step (s)

Critical
Damping (%)

No. of Load

Non-Linear Analysis of SDOF System under Blast Load

(ms)
10

(ms)

duration (ms)

2.0

500

Duration
(ms)
100

435
(k)
200

Step (ms)
0.0001

5000

Analysis and Results

For two types of blast simple pulse, and bilinear pulse, the data in table.1 used for obtained time
history , computed energy, response spectrum, and displacement ductility.
Time History Analysis Results
Type of Blast
Wave
Simple Pulse

Type of Blast
Wave
Bilinear Pulse

Time
(Sec)
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
0.45
0.5
Time
(Sec)
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
0.45
0.5

Displacement
(in)
0
1
1.76
0.17
-1.14
0.43
1.35
0.29
-0.81
0.17
1.04
Displacement
(in)
0
0.62
-0.04
-0.96
0
0.82
0.06
-0.7
-0.07
0.6
0.08

Velocity
(in/sec)
0
34.26
-9.96
-45.99
6.53
39
-2.64
-33.64
1.44
28.73
-0.37
Velocity
(in/sec)
0
17.68
-31.26
0.47
27.62
-2.41
-23.73
-0.89
20.28
-0.72
-17.32

Spring force
(k)
0
117.87
197.25
-2.4
-168.87
14.44
145.66
-1.31
-124.66
4.14
106.62
Spring force
(k)
0
80.89
-4.57
-120.53
0.58
103.05
7.36
-87.88
-8.45
75.06
9.5

Acceleration
(in/sec/sec)
0
162.88
-1313.07
81.7
1264.5
-101.7
-1116.57
114.01
958.14
22.64
-822.2
Acceleration
(in/sec/sec)
0
-877.93
-40.56
934.19
-90.3
-799.38
16.91
683.42
2.23
-581.82
-19.55

Time History Analysis Results

Figure 3: Time History Analysis of Displacement

Figure 4: Time History Analysis of Velocity

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Assal T. Hussein

Figure 5: Time History Analysis of Spring force

Figure 6: Time History Analysis of Acceleration

Computed Energy
Figure 7: Computed Energy for Bilinear Pulse

Figure 8: Computed Energy for Simple Pulse

Kinetic + Strain

Kinetic + Strain
Damping

Hysteresis Analysis Results

Inertial Force (k)

Damping Force (k)

Figure 9: Hysteresis Analysis Results for Simple Pulse

Displacement (in)

Displacement (in)

Non-Linear Analysis of SDOF System under Blast Load

437

Inertial Force (k)

Damping Force (k)

Figure 10: Hysteresis Analysis Results for Bilinear Pulse

Displacement (in)

Displacement (in)

Conclusions
The study of the non-linear analysis of SDOF system subjected to blast loading presented in this paper.
Two types of blast load wave simple and bilinear pulse applied to study the non-linear behavior of
SDOF system. Results of NON-SDOF program, showed the effect of type of wave on the time history
analysis results, and computed energy of blast load. Many parameters used for obtained time history
plots, computed energy and Hysteresis Analysis results.

References
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]

Nitesh, N., Moon. (2009)" Prediction of Blast Loading and Its Impact on Buildings ", M.T.
thesis, National Institute of Technology, Roukema.
Khadid et al. (2007), Blast loaded stiffened plates Journal of Engineering and Applied
Sciences, Vol. 2(2) pp. 456-461.
Alexander M. Remennikov, (2003) A review of methods for predicting bomb blast effects on
buildings, Journal of battlefield technology, Vol 6, no 3. pp 155-161.
TM 5-1300(UFC 3-340-02) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1990), Structures to Resist the
Effects of Accidental Explosions, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C.
A.K. Pandey et al. (2006) Non-linear response of reinforced concrete containment structure
under blast loading Nuclear Engineering and design 236. pp.993-1002.
T. Ngo, P. Mendis, A. Gupta & J. Ramsay, (2007)," Blast Loading and Blast Effects on
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Clough, Ray.W., and Penzien, J., Dynamics of Structures, Volume 2, McGraw Hill, New York,
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