Numerical analysis of I-Lam honeycomb sandwich panels for collision protection of reinforced concrete beams

Abstract

Bridge damage due to over-height vehicle collisions is a major issue throughout the transportation network with damages ranging from minor distortion or spalling in fascia girders to almost complete bridge destruction. Repairing such damages resulted from over-height vehicle collisions is expensive, and it includes costs for bridge repair, and rerouting traffic as well as indirect economic and societal costs. In this study, in correlation with a series of impact tests for reinforced concrete beams with or without Impact-Laminate (I-Lam) panel protection by a wooden projectile, the numerical modeling using the finite element codes ABAQUS is conducted to simulate the over-height vehicle impact, and a good agreement with the available experimental data is obtained. Parametric studies are conducted to further investigate the effects of design parameters (e.g. the velocity of projectile, I-Lam parameters, and core layer sequence, etc.) on the effectiveness of the protection system. The observed phenomena from the parametric studies reflect a design philosophy aiming at improving protection efficiency and providing important information on design of I-Lam honeycomb sandwich collision protection systems for field application.