Abstract. This paper describes a bird strike study performed at THIOT-INGENIERIE laboratory. For aeronautic requirements, the 220 mm version of the gas gun TITAN is used to perform bird strike on instrumented structures. This paper shows a bird strike on a polycarbonate windshield instrumented with high speed cameras, velocity and force sensors. A crossed work with numerical simulation has been performed to design target support and diagnostic tools. It permits also to demonstrate reliability of the numerical tools.

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Abstract. The quasi-static mechanical behavior of autoclaved aerated concrete is well-known and can be expressed as a function of its density. There are however not much studies dealing with its dynamic behavior and its damping ability when subjected to a mechanical shock or a blast. This study presents experimental results obtained at the Shock Physics Laboratory of THIOT INGENIERIE company. The test specimens are made of YTONG (TM) cellular concrete with porosity in the range of 75 to 80%. Experimental tests cover a large strain rate amplitude (higher than 10 4 s −1 ) for specimens up to 250 mm. They were carried out with a small compression press and with two facilities dedicated to dynamic material characterization: JUPITER dynamic large press (2 MN, 3 ms rising time) and TITAN multi-caliber single-stage gas gun. Results in un-confined conditions show an increase of the compressive strength when strain rate increases (45% increase at 5.10 2 s −1 ) but dynamic tests induce damage early in the experiment. This competition between dynamic strength raise and specimen fracture makes the complete compaction curve determination not to be done in unconfined dynamic condition. A 25% increase of the compressive strength has been observed between unconfined and confined condition in Q.S. regime.

Vulnerability of high pressure vessels subjected to high velocity impact of space debris is analyzed with the response of pressurized vessels to hypervelocity impact of aluminum sphere. Investigated tanks are CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastics) overwrapped Al vessels. Explored internal pressure of nitrogen ranges from 1 bar to 300 bar and impact velocity are around 4400 m/s. Data obtained from Xrays radiographies and particle velocity measurements show the evolution of debris cloud and shock wave propagation in pressurized nitrogen. Observation of recovered vessels leads to the damage pattern and to its evolution as a function of the internal pressure. It is shown that the rupture mode is not a bursting mode but rather a catastrophic damage of the external carbon composite part of the vessel.