This study investigates the effects of various design parameters on the performance of reinforced concrete columns under near-field blast loads, specifically for scaled distances less than 0.4 m/kg 1/3 . The computational fluid dynamics analysis method in LS-DYNA is used to model the detonation process of the explosive, the propagation of the blast wave, and its interaction with the structure. The model's ability to accurately predict blast loads and simulate structural response is verified against experimental data from the literature. Using the verified model, the influence of transverse reinforcement spacing, concrete cover, axial load ratio, and column cross-section shape on the structural performance is evaluated based on several parameters including the lateral displacement, the extent of the damage zone, material stress condition, and residual axial capacity.Based on the analysis results, it is concluded that a reduction in the transverse reinforcement spacing reduces the lateral displacement and spall length, while increasing the residual axial capacity. Also, a reduction in concrete cover is found to reduce spalling but has a minimal effect on the lateral displacements. Lastly, it is shown that increasing the axial load ratio significantly reduce the lateral displacement, but past a certain point can lead to shear failure near the support.