Dynamic response of ground floor slab due to friedlander local load

Blast load is one of the common phenomena that may heavily damage a building. As a dynamic force, blast loads require further studies. The effect of blast loads on ground floor slab is studied in this paper. Dynamic responses are affected by many factors, such as shear modulus, soil stiffness modulus, and slab thickness. In this study, blast load is modeled in accordance to Friedlander local load, including its negative phase. Although being smaller in amplitude, negative phase causes larger deflections as shown in some previous studies. The Cubic Negative Phase equation used in modeling the Friedlander local load is recommended by Naval Facilities Engineering Command Design Manual 2.08. A number of variations on loading positions, slab thickness, and damping ratios are made to observe the change in its dynamic responses. The result of the study shows that the addition of slab thickness and damping ratio helps reduce the absolute maximum deflection, while the further the local load is located, the larger deflections are caused.