The Stability of Columns Against Lateral Impacts and Vertical Loads of a Three-Storey Building Using Euler and Vianello Method

Abstract

Attacks on city centres using vehicle bombs have become characteristic of the campaigns of various organisations of international terrorism. An explosion of a bomb inside or directly near a structure may lead to disastrous consequences for the external and internal structural frames of the building, as well as the collapse of walls, the explosion of large panels of windows, and the disconnection of key life-safety systems. Numerous factors, including direct blast effects, collapse of the structure, impacts of the debris, fire, and smoke, may cause death and physical injuries to the occupants.

The indirect impacts may merge to block or hinder people from evacuating on time, thus leading to additional losses. Moreover, significant disasters caused by the explosion of gases + chemicals lead to high dynamic loads, exceeding the initial design loads, of most constructions. Such extreme loading conditions pose significant danger, and hence, over the last 30 years, efforts have been underway to study ways of structural analysis and design to resist blast loads. Blast analysis and design of buildings subjected to blast impact loading demand an extensive knowledge of blast phenomena and the dynamic response of several structural components. The paper gives an informative account of the impact of an explosion on buildings. The nature of explosions and how the blast waves in free air work is explained. This paper also presents diverse methods for estimating blast loads and structural response.