A note on the impact resistance of concrete target against rigid projectile

Abstract

Concrete is an inhomogeneous cementitious composite which mainly consists of the cement matrix and the random distributed coarse aggregates. As for the most widely used construction materials of the protective structures designed to withstand the intentional or accidental impact loadings caused by high-speed projectiles, the impact resistance of concrete target against the rigid projectile impact is mainly dependent on the mass, density, impact velocity, diameter, and nose shape of the projectile, as well as strength and density of the target, and hardness and size of the coarse aggregates. However, the above influential parameters are not sufficiently considered in the existing cavity expansion–based model and constant resistance model for predicting the depth of penetration of a projectile. In this article, the influences of the hardness and size of the coarse aggregates on the depth of penetration are examined through the existing experimental data, and an improved rigid projectile penetration model for concrete target is proposed and validated by 19 sets of ogive- and flat-nosed projectile penetration tests.