Experimental evaluation of concrete panels under impact loading

Abstract

As a result of the increased risk of potential attacks worldwide, public concern about safety has been drastically elevated and designers were required to consider additional probable types of loading conditions such as impact and blast loads, especially when designing high profile structures. Building facade is the first element exposed to such loads and its response plays a vital role in the resulting amount of damage. Thin precast concrete panels are typically used in external building’s facade for this purpose due to their favorable uniform shape and ease of construction. However, resistance of this system to impact load has been questionable. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation conducted on two-way concrete panels. The presented study provides a deep insight to the behavior of two-way concrete panels, with different reinforcement configurations (including ferrocement) - under high intensity short duration load; namely impact loading. The test program included testing full scale reinforced concrete and ferrocement panels under impact load of a pendulum mass. The panels' performance under impact load is evaluated in terms of: the failure mode; the maximum impact loads sustained by the panels; the number of impact loads up to failure; and the maximum load transmitted to the supporting frame. The results clearly emphasize the significant influence of reinforcement on the overall resistance to impact loading. Different observations, discussed in this paper, provide an improved understanding of the behavior of reinforced concrete panels under impact loading, which would allow designers to make better and more informative decisions.