Blast simulations and transient responses of long-span glass roof structures: A case of London's railway station

Long-span structures often are slender by nature. Their span/depth ratio often causes excessive responses and high sensitivity to dynamic actions (e.g. wind, Earthquakes, explosion, etc.). The issues are pronounced when thin-walled glass roof structures gain popularity in design and construction. Especially in railway built environment, long-span and glass-roof structures can often be seen at many landmark railway stations such as St Pancras International, King’s Cross, Birmingham Grand Central, etc. Importantly, these railway stations are considered to be at high risk of terrorist threats. However, many railway critical infrastructures were built or designed long before the explosive actions being taken into account. In this study, the blast simulation and transient responses of a long-span glass roof structure are thus highlighted. The focus is placed on Canary Wharf underground station, which is one deemed to be at risk. Nonlinear modelling, validation and transient analyses of the station roofing structure have been carried out using a finite element package, STRAND7. Sensitivity of explosion intensity has been evaluated to quantify structural capacity and vulnerability of the glass roof. The insight into this transient behaviour will help railway and structural engineers to establish strategic retrofitting methods to minimise catastrophic damage to and potential losses of train passengers, the public & rail assets.