Pressure-impulse diagram of a beam under explosion - Influence of the indirectly affected part

The paper studies the structural response of a beam subjected to a close-field local internal blast loading.
In the literature, the pressure-impulse (p-I) diagram is commonly used to design elements or structures for a given blast loading. The p-I diagram is a spectrum representing the level sets of damage or required ductility for a given structural system, nonlinear beam in this paper. This representation is much appreciated because a simple reading for the actual pressure p and impulse I of the considered load indicates the ductility demand of the structural system.
Recent works of quasi-static behaviour have indicated the crucial need to account for the membrane effects taking place in the extreme loading of frame beams. This paper will thus extend the state-of-art features, establishing thus the p-I diagram for a beam including the lateral restraints offered by the rest of the structure, the development of non-linear membrane action and also, the M-N interaction that develops in the plastic hinges.