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Dynamic fragmentation process in concrete under impact and spalling tests

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Abstract

Intense damages as scabbing on front face, spalling on rear face, radial cracks are observed in concrete structures when subjected to the impact of a kinetic striker. To characterize the dynamic strength and damage of concretes under such loadings one may perform spalling tests and EOI (edge-on impact) tests. Both tests have been conducted with dry and wet specimens of a micro-concrete named MB50. The tests revealed a remarked effect of strain-rate and free water on the dynamic response of the concrete. In parallel, bending tests and direct tensile tests have been performed with dry and saturated concrete samples considering large and small effective volumes and the results have been compared with five sets of data given in the literature with the same material. A scale effect is observed in agreement with prediction of Weibull theory. Moreover, an anisotropic damage model that describes the initiation of cracks and the obscuration of critical defects under high strain-rate tensile loading is presented. It allows accounting for the influence of loading-rate and free-water on the dynamic strength and damage of concrete observed in EOI and spalling tests.

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  1. Laboratory of Physics and Mechanics of Materials, Université Paul Verlaine-Metz, Ile du Saulcy, 57045, Metz Cedex 1, France

    P. Forquin & B. Erzar

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  1. P. Forquin
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  2. B. Erzar
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Correspondence to P. Forquin.

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Forquin, P., Erzar, B. Dynamic fragmentation process in concrete under impact and spalling tests. Int J Fract 163, 193–215 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-009-9419-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-009-9419-3

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