Quantification of aluminum Increase Factors for curtain wall design using finite element methods

摘要

In this paper we present structural analysis of an aluminum-backed curtain wall system to inform blast-resistant structural design practice. This analysis focuses on the expected material response of an aluminum curtain wall support to a set of typical blast loadings used in U.S. government criteria for domestic projects. Dynamic experiment test results of aluminum samples are used with a three-dimensional finite element hydrocode to account for over-strength, dynamic strengthening, and post-failure response of aluminum. The analysis shows that a curtain wall member under high-rate (blast) loading that is prescribed to fail using the recommended values of yield strength in the criteria documents, actually has very little evolved plastic strain. Further analysis shows that the combination of both the measured quasi-static yield over-strength and dynamic yield strength of specific aluminum evaluated exceeds the design recommendations prescribed in government design criteria in excess of 30% for the 6063 aluminum evaluated. The additional fidelity provided by the more accurate material properties improved the calculated performance of the structural member to the point that a member upgrade would not be required.