Blast response and damage distribution of composite plate shear walls equipped with corner-replaceable damping devices

Composite plate shear walls (CPSWs) are increasingly employed in protective structures due to their high strength, stiffness, and energy absorption capacity under extreme loading conditions. While the blast resistance of CPSWs and the seismic performance of systems equipped with Replaceable Corner Tension–Compression Dampers (RCTCDs) have been investigated separately, the blast behavior of CPSWs incorporating such replaceable devices remains largely unexplored. Understanding the interaction between impulsive blast loads and replaceable corner devices is essential for the development of multi-hazard-resistant structural systems. This study numerically investigates the blast response of composite plate shear walls equipped with RCTCDs using a three-dimensional finite element model developed in LS-DYNA. Twelve full-scale wall configurations were analyzed considering three blast intensities, two blast orientations (normal and in-plane), and structural systems with and without damping devices. The numerical framework incorporates strain-rate-sensitive material models and was verified using available experimental and numerical blast benchmarks. Key response parameters including peak displacement, Von Mises stress, effective plastic strain, and damage distribution were evaluated during the impulsive phase of blast loading. The results indicate that the presence of RCTCDs significantly modifies blast-induced load-transfer mechanisms and damage localization characteristics. Under normal blast loading, the damped walls exhibited reduced peak displacements and more uniform stress distributions compared with conventional configurations. Under in-plane blast loading, the devices altered force-transfer paths and promoted a broader spatial distribution of damage within the wall system. The analyses further revealed a pronounced directional dependency, demonstrating that the effectiveness of the corner devices is strongly influenced by blast orientation. Overall, the findings provide new insight into the interaction between replaceable corner devices and blast-loaded composite wall systems and contribute to the development of future multi-hazard-resistant protective structures.