Experimental and Numerical Studies on Impacts

An experimental set-up has been constructed for medium scale impact tests. The main objective of this effort is to provide data for the calibration and verification of numerical models of a loading scenario where an aircraft impacts against a nuclear power plant. The experiments with fluid filled missiles yield also valuable information about the release and spreading of liquid fuel in impact. This information is vital in assessing the combustion hazard of fuel, and for analytical and numerical methods which can be applied to assess the spreading and combustion of fuel spray. Instrumentation used in the tests includes for instance high-speed photography, force-time function measurements based on accelerometry and strain gauges, and debris tracking. The main goal is to develop further the analytical method that defines the load-time function of relatively soft missile impacts. The second goal for further study is to develop and take in use numerical methods for predicting the response of reinforced concrete structures to impacts of deformable projectiles that may contain combustible liquid. The computational results were also needed in the continuous planning of the tests.