Paper Contents
Abstract
Blast loading in rock structures is a critical concern in both civil and defence engineering due to the potential for catastrophic failure under extreme dynamic conditions. Accurate numerical modelling of blast effects is essential for predicting structural response, designing protective measures, and ensuring safety. This paper presents a comparative study of numerical methods employed for blast load simulation in rock structures, focusing on Finite Element Method (FEM), Finite Difference Method (FDM), and Combined FiniteDiscrete Element Method (FDEM). Each approach is evaluated with respect to its ability to capture stress wave propagation, fracture initiation, and crack evolution in brittle geomaterials such as granite. The study integrates benchmark simulations under equivalent loading scenarios to examine computational efficiency, stability, and accuracy in reproducing experimental blast data. Results indicate that FEM is effective for global stress analysis but limited in post-fracture representation, while FDM demonstrates robustness in wave propagation studies. In contrast, FDEM provides superior capabilities in simulating crack initiation and fragmentation but at higher computational cost. The comparative analysis emphasizes that the choice of numerical method should be guided by the simulation objective: FEM and FDM for global response prediction, and FDEM for localized fracture and damage assessment. This research contributes to the development of more reliable blast-resistant design strategies and highlights the need for hybrid and adaptive approaches to accurately model the complex dynamic behaviour of rock structures under blast loading.
Copyright
Copyright © 2025 Tanya Singh. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
