Impact resistance of high strength-high ductility concrete
High strength-high ductility concrete (HSHDC) is a newly developed fiber-reinforced cementitious composite with unique compressive strength (> 150 MPa) and tensile ductility (> 3%). Researchers have investigated the behaviour of thin slabs of HSHDC via drop-weight impact experiments.
The deformation mechanisms, cracking patterns, and impact load resistance of HSHDC slabs are determined and contrasted with the behaviour of slabs made of a fiber-reinforced ultra-high performance concrete named “Cor-Tuf” with compressive strength of about 200 MPa.
Materials differ in structural behaviour
While the HSHDC slabs exhibit ductile flexural behaviour with well-distributed multiple fine cracks, the Cor-Tuf slabs exhibit quasi-brittle flexural and shear failures accompanied by large localized cracks and excessive spalling. Finite element analysis of these slabs' responses reveals that the observed difference in the structural behaviour of HSHDC and Cor-Tuf slabs is a direct result of the difference in the tensile ductility of these two materials.
The study is published in: Cement and Concrete Research, Volume 98, August 2017, Pages 24–35
