ANALYSIS OF BLAST LOADS ON STRUCTURES WITH FACADE OPENINGS USING UFC 3-340-02

Abstract

Designing blast-resistant structures with openings presents a significant challenge due to the complex propagation and interaction of shock waves with internal structural components. While international design codes have been established to address this issue, engineering practice in Vietnam primarily relies on empirical methods for assessing external blast loads on simple rectangular geometries, often neglecting internal pressure effects due to a lack of experimental data. As an alternative to computationally intensive CFD simulations, this article presents a comprehensive approach utilizing UFC 3-340-02 to determine blast loads acting on both exterior and interior structural surfaces. An automated calculation method is introduced to estimate the determination of these loads and rapidly generate a robust loading database. This study provides Vietnamese engineers with a practical blast loading assessment tool and a new approach to accurately analyze structural components, thereby enhancing the survivability and resilience of structures against explosive events.