Finite element simulation of reinforced concrete structures under impact accident

Abstract

Purpose

An accidental impact load can be caused by mishaps in industry as well as accidents stemming from transportation or man‐made disasters. There are a number of ways to predict how an impact load will affect a concrete slab, some of which may be impractical or expensive but because there have been significant developments in technology, numerical techniques rather than experimental approaches have become popular methods for developing detailed responses. This paper aims to investigate finite element techniques. Therefore, to numerically examine reinforced concrete slabs subjected to impact load in order to better understand their behaviour can be considered a cost effective matter.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper evaluates reliability of finite element techniques to simulate the significant responses of reinforced concrete structures subjected to low velocity impact loading by taking advantage of a commercial finite element package ABAQUS/Explicit code.

Findings

The paper finds that finite element analysis is capable of making reasonable estimations available in order to determine the possible failure modes of reinforced concrete slabs subjected to impact loads. Finite element simulation can be used to construct the physical interaction between steel and concrete (bond action) as well as create an interaction between flexural and shear reinforcement. Modelling composite material such as a reinforced concrete slab is possible provided that the appropriate conditions for creating the interaction between steel and concrete are fulfilled.

Originality/value

The quantity of mesh density and direction of the sub‐division on the surface of a concrete slab, where it may follow the trajectory of cracking, can play an important role in simulating finite element analysis. By taking full advantage of hourglass control and mesh distortion control, and provided the number of mesh elements have increased, the simulation results would be close to the obtained experimental result.

Citation

Tahmasebinia, F. (2008), "Finite element simulation of reinforced concrete structures under impact accident", Structural Survey, Vol. 26 No. 5, pp. 445-454. https://doi.org/10.1108/02630800810922784