Finite element analysis of FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete panels under blast loading

A finite element model is developed in this paper for the simulation of structural responses of FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete panels under blast loading. The strain rate effects for concrete in tension and compression are considered separately in the current finite element model, and those for steel reinforcements and FRP sheets are taken into account in their respective material models. The effect of element size on the concrete material model under dynamic loading is also considered in the numerical modelling. The commercial explicit hydrocode LS-DYNA is employed to carry out the numerical analysis. A GFRP-strengthened reinforced concrete panel under blast loading is simulated in this study, and the proposed finite element model is validated by comparing the computed results with test data from the literature.