Blast load performance of concrete slabs after ballistic impact from ogive-nose projectiles

Abstract

Concrete is by far the most used construction material in the world and is frequently used in critical infrastructure and protective structures. Whether intentional or accidental, ballistic impact and blast loading pose serious threats to any structure. Concrete structures have been studied extensively for ballistic impact or blast load separately, but less so for combined impact and blast loading. Thus, three types of commercially produced concrete with nominal unconfined compressive strengths of 35, 75, and 110 MPa were used to study this phenomenon. Slabs with 50 mm thickness were cast, cured, and subjected to ballistic impact from ogive-nose hard steel projectiles with mass 196 g. The perforated slabs were subsequently exposed to blast-like loading generated by a shock tube facility. Undamaged slabs were also tested in the shock tube for reference. Material tests were used for calibration of the K&C concrete model, and interesting results were obtained using LS-DYNA.