Investigating and comparing the concrete constitutive models in the numerical simulation of reinforced concrete slabs under explosion load

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University, Boroujerd, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Lorestan University, Lorestan, Iran.

3 M.Sc of Civil Engineering - Structural Engineering, Afarinesh Institute of Higher Education, Boroujerd, Iran

10.22124/jcr.2026.21752.1562

Abstract

The simulation of the behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) slabs using numerical software is a cost-effective method for their analysis and design. In the present study, by focusing on an ordinary RC slab element subjected to blast loading and conducting multiple simulations, a comparison of the models was performed. The software LS-DYNA, version R 4.2, and the capable, widely used, and available concrete material models: Concrete Damage R3, HJC, CSCM, and Winfrith, were used for the simulation. Based on existing tests and the information provided within them, the blast load was applied to the slab using the pressure-time history method, and the results for the maximum slab deflection obtained from the simulation using the mentioned material models were compared. The Concrete Damage R3 model provided more accurate results than the other models. In this research, the accuracy of the models was evaluated quantitatively based on the Percent Relative Error (PRE) between the simulation results and the actual laboratory data. The HJC model required the least computation time but its accuracy was second to the Concrete Damage R3 model; however, it was necessary for the user to introduce all parameters, including the equation of state, to the model. The CSCM model had lower accuracy than the HJC model but required the fewest input parameters for introduction to the software; paradoxically, this model required the longest computation time. The Winfrith model had the lowest accuracy.

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