Dynamic Response of Concrete Subjected to High Rate of Loading: a Parametric Study

Abstract: The present study focused on the numerical validation of the experimental study performed by Hao et al [1] on the concrete by using the SHPB apparatus with the help of ANSYS/Explicit dynamics code based on the finite element method. The validation performed at 7.5 m/s striker impact velocity, which further increased up to 27 m/s to varying the higher strain rate in specimen. Additionally, the numerical parametric study was performed to study the dynamic response of the concrete material properties by varying the compressive and tensile strain rate exponent in the RHT material model. It has been observed that the strain rate increased 75 to 521 s^–1 as the impact velocity increased from 7.5 to 27 m/s. As a results, the compressive strength increased from 79 to 98 MPa, dynamic increase factor increased from 2.25 to 2.80, and energy density increased from 0.66 to 4.10 J/m³. The compressive and tensile strain rate exponent have significant effect on the dynamic material properties such that the strength increased from 58 to 100 MPa and DIF increased from 1.62 to 2.80 as the compressive and tensile strain rate exponents increased from 0 to 0.064 and 0 to 0.072 simultaneously, respectively. Moreover, the dynamic compressive strength is highly sensitive to the compressive strain rate exponent and strength increases from 58.5 to 101 MPa as the compressive strain rate exponents increases from 0 to 0.64, respectively, but there was no significant effect of tensile strain rate exponent was observed on material properties.