Application of Synthetic Fiber Ropes To Reduce Blast Response of A Portal Frame

A steel portal frame subjected to an external blast is analyzed. The use of diagonal synthetic fiber ropes to brace the frame is studied. The force-elongation relationship of the ropes when in tension is modeled either as a bilinear function with initial slackness, or a power law based on tests. The effect of the ropes in reducing deflections and plastic strains is determined using the finite element software ABAQUS/Explicit. Inclusion of the influence of strain-rate on the material behavior of the frame is important. Several blast magnitudes and rope stiffness coefficients are considered. Snap loads occur in the ropes if the blast is sufficiently large. Deformations and strains may be reduced significantly by the ropes, and failure may be prevented.