Blast Response of Lightly Attached Concrete Masonry Unit Walls

TLDR

Concrete masonry unit walls are common exterior panels that can become debris hazards when detonated by high explosives. The study aims to gather blast response data for CMU walls to refine the Wall Analysis Code. The authors conducted physical experiments on nonretrofitted and retrofitted CMU walls, collecting test data, high‑speed video, and post‑test inspections to evaluate response parameters. The study developed retrofitting techniques that mitigate blast‑induced debris hazards.

Abstract

Exterior wall panels of structures are often constructed of concrete masonry units (CMUs), commonly known as concrete blocks. These walls may become a debris hazard to building occupants when high explosives, for example, a terrorist vehicle bomb, are detonated outside of a building. A recently completed series of physical experiments is being used to develop methods for predicting the hazard levels associated with CMU walls. Retrofitting techniques have been developed to mitigate these hazards. The experiments included nonretrofitted CMU walls as well as several different types of retrofits. Test data, high-speed video, and posttest inspection of the experiments were used to assess the parameters that affect the response of CMU walls and retrofit systems. The objective of the research presented in this paper is to collect data on the blast response of CMU walls so that improvements can be made to the previously developed Wall Analysis Code (WAC).