Evaluation of the behavior of concrete slabs with opening under explosive loading

Looking at the terrorist incidents in recent years, the protection of buildings under explosions is not only a concern of military institutions but also an important concern for design engineers. Due to the importance of the slabs during the explosion in the building, their correct design according to technical and security standards, especially passive defense standards, is essential. In designing slabs, it is necessary to consider openings for various purposes, including the passage of pipes, installation and electrical ducts, and elevators. In general, opening changes the behavior of the slabs. Therefore, in this study, the behavior of the slabs with the opening was dynamically analyzed by ABAQUS and to achieve the optimal state, the effect of the shape and position of the opening and also the effect of increasing the compressive strength of concrete on the performance of the slab containing the opening was investigated. In this study, the dimensions and thickness of the slab, the explosive load and the abutment conditions were considered the same and the maximum displacement and damage were investigated. The results show that circular openings have better performance than square openings and when the opening is in center, it creates less displacement than the opening is in corner. In addition, in the slab with circle opening in center, less amount and surface is damaged. Therefore, it is recommended to be located the opening in the central areas of the slab. The results also show that as the compressive strength increases, the displacement decreases.