Impact of High Velocity Objects Into Concrete Structures: Methodology and Application

Abstract

Lifeline safety structures, such as, for example, concrete dams, nuclear power plants, and highway bridges, are designed to high levels of safety using traditionally conservative methods. Events of recent years, however, have raised public concerns about the degree of vulnerability of these structures to deliberate attacks involving large-airplane crash or close-proximity blast loading. This paper presents recent development in the state of the art of finite-element-based constitutive modeling and computational methodology of reinforced concrete with emphasis on severe damage modeling and failure evaluation. Verification and validation of the developed methodology is illustrated using high-velocity impact tests conducted in the U.S. and Japan. This involves explicit finite element computations for high velocity rigid missiles impacting reinforced concrete walls. Application of the methodology to nuclear fuel facilities is discussed.