Analysis of Penetration Resistance of Concrete

Abstract

A combined numerical and analytical study of penetration of concrete by high-velocity (∼1.8 km/s) projectiles has been conducted in order to study the effects of concrete's constitutive modeling on penetration calculations. The results of the analysis are compared with the available experimental data. All constitutive models studied accounted for the compressibility of concrete. The plastic yield condition was modeled with the von Mises yielding criterion using (1) the constant yield-strength mode; and (2) the pressure-dependent yield-strength model. Regardless of the value of the yield strength, application of a constant yield strength model is shown to result in nearly identical hole profiles that, in all cases, were significantly larger than those obtained through experimentation. Crater profiles calculated with the pressure-dependent yield model showed good agreement with the available experimental data, attributed to the increased target resistance to penetration. In addition, a detailed analysis of the flow field along the central streamline shows that the increase in the target's resistance to penetration is also responsible for the growth in the time rate of the projectile erosion.