Damage and deformation behavior of reinforced concrete pipes with varying joints under surface explosion

Reinforced concrete pipes (RCP) are the mainstay of urban water transmission networks. Urban development entails increased potential for blasting activities (such as subway tunneling, excavation, and demolition) as well as the risk of accidental explosions. This paper provides a detailed description of the damage evolution and deformation process of RCP under explosive loads using validated numerical simulation methods. A concise phenomenon-based method is introduced for RCP damage grading. Furthermore, a comparative analysis is conducted on the damage and deformation of RCP resulting from explosions at different locations and with varying weights. At last, this paper especially investigates and explains the impact of four commonly used joint types on the RCP's response to explosions. The research results help to enhance the understanding of damage evolution and deformation behavior of RCP (or similar structures) induced by explosion, and are also references for protection, repairing and failure identification of segmented structures subjected to explosion.