Simulation of wind-borne missile impact using Lagrangian and Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics formulations

Abstract

Four impact tests on reinforced concrete panels, conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), were simulated using the Lagrangian and Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) formulations to validate a numerical model. These tests involved 305 mm (12 in.), 457 mm (18 in.), and 610 mm (24 in.) thick reinforced concrete panels impacted by 305 mm (12 in.) diameter Schedule 40 pipes, with impact velocities ranging from 30 m/s (98 ft./s) to 62 m/s (202 ft./s). The Lagrangian formulation reasonably predicted panel response and local damage (e.g., perforation, front- and back-face crater diameters, and scabbing) to the 305 mm (12 in.) panels but predicted less well the results of tests on thicker panels. This prompted study of the particle-based method SPH formulation: the axisymmetric formulation was used to reduce computational demand. The Grid Convergence Index (GCI) was used to identify a converged mesh for the SPH simulations. The SPH model reasonably predicted panel response and local damage for the range of panel thicknesses chosen for this study but the lack of information and metadata from the experiments poses a challenge to fully validate a numerical model for impact analysis.