The ever-present threat of terrorist attacks in recent decades gives way to research towards blast-resistant design of structures. Columns, as one of the main load-bearing elements in residential buildings and bridges, are becoming interesting targets in bombing attacks. Research of column blast load behavior leads toward increased safety by identifying shortcomings and problems of those elements and acting accordingly. Field tests and numerical simulations lead to the development of new blast load mitigation technics, either in the design process or as a retrofit and strengthening of existing elements. The article provides a state-of-the-art literature review of filed blast load tests and numerical simulations of a bridge and building columns.