Master Thesis NTNU CSDG 2026 Blast Design - case 1

Authors: Ingrid Cecilia Haga Hartveit Puvitha Arulambalam Abstract: This master’s thesis presents a parametric framework for analysing and optimizing shelter buildings exposed to blast loading. The workflow integrates parametric modelling in Rhino and Grasshopper, computational fluid dynamics for blast-pressure simulation, and finite element analysis for structural response evaluation. The study compares simplified flow-field models and transient explicit blast-wave analysis to transfer explosion-induced pressure fields onto structural models. Several optimization cases are investigated, including wall placement, cross-bracing, shaft placement, cross-sectional dimensions, number of storeys, and column layout. The thesis demonstrates how computational design methods can support more efficient evaluation of explosion-resilient building configurations and contribute to future civil protection and shelter design.