Numerical Study of Damage Evaluation of Plain Concrete Under Projectile Impact

Numerical simulations were carried out to validate computational and constitutive models against experimental data by conducting ballistic evaluations on plain concrete slabs with an un-confined compressive strength of 48 MPa. Ogival-nose-shaped hard steel projectiles weighing 0.5 and 1 kg were used to impact square plain concrete slabs measuring 450 by 450 mm, with varying thicknesses of 60, 80, and 100 mm. The plain concrete material was modeled using the MAT-111_Holmquist Johnson–Cook (HJC) constitutive material model. The study extensively examined the damage characteristics of concrete and sought to establish correlations with experimental findings. The outcomes revealed that the residual velocities obtained through numerical simulations closely matched the experimental results. However, a notable deviation was observed in terms of the damage assessment, particularly concerning the equivalent diameter of spalling and scabbing of the concrete target. This deviation could be attributed to the absence of the third invariant or lode angle in the yield strength surface, as well as the absence of tensile softening damage in the HJC model. The primary objective of this study was to pinpoint any disparities in damage assessment that may arise when employing the original HJC model for numerical simulations within the LS-DYNA finite element code.