Evaluation of concrete penetration depth under impact loading employing empirical formulae

Empirical formulae based on experimental data to evaluate concrete penetration depth under impact loading are often used due to the complexity of the phenomena. Several design codes employ empirical formulae for the design of protective barriers. This paper presents the details of relative assessment of the use of well known empirical formulae for evaluation of concrete penetration depth under impact loading. The empirical formulae employed in the present studies include Conwep, Army corps, Haldar, Ammann and Whitney, UKAEA, BRL, Modified Petry and modified NDRC. Appropriate expressions and limitations for these empirical formulae have been provided. Performance of these empirical formulae has been studied by conducting numerical studies. The penetration depth values for all the formulae have been compared with selected published experimental observations. From the studies, it is observed that the penetration depth values computed by employing Conwep, Haldar and Ammann formulae are in good agreement with the selected experimental observations. The penetration values obtained by using Modified Petry and BRL formulae are larger compared to experimental observations. Further, it is observed that the penetration depth values computed by using modified NDRC, Army corps and UKAEA are lesser compared to corresponding experimental observations. Copyright © 2008 Tech Science Press.