Impact of building model complexity on predicting external explosion consequences

Mihali, A.; Rebelo, H. B.; Cismaşiu, C.; Shaker, N. H.

http://hdl.handle.net/10362/186859

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Accurate blast models are essential for disaster management and emergency preparedness. Semi-empirical methods, which rely on free-field assumptions, struggle to provide precise data for complex building shapes because they ignore shock wave reflections. This research numerically investigates the effects of an explosion on a large building of complex geometrical configuration using blastFoam, estimating the façade damage and assessing risks to occupants. To evaluate the importance of accurately modelling the building's geometry, four levels of detail were considered. Additionally, simulations were also performed using the Load Blast Enhanced (LBE) method from LS-DYNA to compare the estimates of this faster semi-empirical approach with those obtained through CFD analyses. The findings reveal that simpler CFD models are adequate for façade analysis and injury assessment around the building but fall short for predicting injury distribution within interior spaces or between buildings. The LBE underestimates both structural damage and human injury levels, while detailed CFD highlights the importance of accounting for interior walls and windows to enhance blast pressure predictions.

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Funding Information: This work was supported by contract PR3248 - B0038/2023 with the Portuguese Army and research grant NOVAID-B170 funded by NOVA.ID - Association for Innovation and Development of NOVA School of Science and Technology. The authors are grateful for the Foundation for Science and Technology’s support through funding UIDB/04625/2020 from the research unit CERIS, as well as for the professional support of Engineers Paulo Norton Rodrigues and Pedro Bordalo Machado from Oracle Portugal . Publisher Copyright: © 2025