Performance of Bridge Columns Subjected to Blast Loads. I: Experimental Program

Statistical data from past terrorist attacks show that transportation infrastructure has been widely targeted, and a significant percentage of the attacks against transportation structures have been directed towards bridges. Recent threats to bridges in the United States validate this concern and have attracted the attention of the bridge engineering community. To address these concerns, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program sponsored a research project to investigate the response of critical bridge components subjected to blast loads. This paper includes a description of an experimental research program on ten different half-scale column designs in which the design parameters that have the greatest impact on the performance of blast-loaded bridge columns were evaluated. Interpretation of the test results and guidelines for the blast-resistant design of reinforced concrete bridge columns are provided in the companion paper written by the writers.