Design of Reinforced Concrete Panels for Wind-borne Missile Impact

Keywords: Nuclear power plants, reinforced concrete walls, missile impact, finite elements, LS-DYNA

Abstract: The overarching goal of the research project was to validate a numerical model for the analysis of reinforced concrete panels impacted by wind-borne missiles. Experiments from the 1970s were used for the validation exercise. The Lagrangian and Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) algorithms in LS-DYNA were used for numerical analysis. Challenges with the use of Lagrangian elements for impact simulations prompted study of the SPH method. The axisymmetric formulation was adopted for the SPH-based impact simulations. The partially validated numerical model was used in a parametric study to investigate the effects of panel thickness, Schedule 40 pipe size, pipe velocity, and concrete uniaxial compressive and tensile strength on panel response. Impact by annular and solid missiles was investigated. Results of the parametric study were used to draft design guidance.