Summary of Blast Tests on Steel-Plate Reinforced Concrete Walls

Conventional reinforced concrete (RC) structures have historically been the preferred choice for blast and impact resistant structures. Recent research demonstrates advantages of steel-plate composite (SC) structures that make them an excellent candidate for efficient construction of protective structures. Understanding of the behavior, analysis, and design of SC walls for safety-related nuclear structures in the US and abroad has advanced in the past decade resulting in the publication of a new specification for their design. A body of knowledge also exists to design SC structures to resist the effects of projectile impacts. Research on the behavior of SC walls subjected to blast does not exist in the public domain—a loading which has been identified as a continuing concern for protective structure design. This paper summarizes results from blast tests of SC walls.