ANALYSIS OF SLAB PERFORATION UNDER MISSILE IMPACT

The objective of this study is to modify the three-step design method proposed by Bruhl. et al. to support the design of steel plate reinforced concrete (SC) slabs against perforation under missile impact. To determine a more reasonable initial concrete slab thickness described in the first step of the design method, the effects of type, weight and impact velocity of missile on the ratio of perforation limit of SC slabs, es, to the perforation limit of reinforced concrete (RC) slab, er, will be investigated. In the first part of this study, experimental data available in literature and referring to large-scale impact tests of rigid and soft missile on SC and RC slabs were selected for benchmarking. To the aim of the study numerical impact simulations were performed using an explicit dynamic Finite element (FE) code for predicting the behavior and load bearing capacity of impacted wall. Suitable finite element models of SC slabs, RC slabs and missiles developed, the implemented numerical algorithms, constitutive models and adopted parameters were also verified by comparing the numerical results with the experimental data. Then in the next part of this study, validated numerical simulation methods will be applied to the parametric study to determine the relationships between the missile weight and impact velocity and both RC and SC perforation limit, for rigid and soft missile impact. An explicit formula will be proposed to predict the ratio es/er, which is helpful for engineers to reasonably select an initial concrete thickness for designing SC structures used in the nuclear facilities.