Virtual simulation of fracture behavior of concrete blocks under blast loading

Abstract

Utilizing advanced visualization techniques to simulate and replicate the response of concrete block under various explosive loads is of significant importance for investigating and predicting the fragmentation and fracture behavior of concrete materials. In this study, a scenario visualization method is introduced combining virtual simulation and mathematical theoretical modeling, which can vividly characterize the destruction process as well as the damage characteristics of the concrete block subjected to impact. The fragmentation theory model provided, based on the theorem of energy conservation, could analyze and predict the fundamental characteristics of secondary fragments of concrete blocks under blast loading, such as the quantity, quality and the initial velocity of fragmentation. Furthermore, the movement trajectory and 3D dynamic effects of flying concrete fragments after the explosion were finely and real-time simulated using the physics engine, which significantly enhanced the realism and reliability of the visualization. Also, to characterize the damage features of concrete block, the crushing model of concrete block was established by using Voronoi diagram technique, and the damage levels was given according to the degree of destruction. The developed virtual simulation system not only offers the capability to observe the damage process of concrete block from various perspectives and scales, but also efficiently and accurately analyzes and predicts the destructive behavior and dynamic response under impact loads, and it has significant potential applications in architectural engineering design and safety assessment, providing a new perspective for understanding and exploring the mechanisms of destruction and fracture in concrete materials.