• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.171-186
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• 2002

Static and dynamic penetration tests of reinforced concrete (RC) slab specimens are described and discussed. The experimental study was aimed at a better understanding of mechanisms that are involved in dynamic penetration, through their identification in static tests, and by establishing their relative influence in similar dynamic cases. The RC specimens were $80{\times}80-cm$ square plates, and they were made of 30 MPa concrete. The non-deforming steel penetrator was a 50-mm diameter steel rod with a conical nose of 1.5 aspect ratio. Impact penetration tests were carried out with an air gun, which launched the projectiles at velocities of up to 300 m/sec. The static tests were conducted using a closed loop displacement control actuator, where the penetrator was pushed at a constant rate of displacement into the specimen. The static tests reveal important mechanisms that govern the penetration process and therefore contribute to a better understanding of RC barriers resistance to non-deforming projectiles impact.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.685-699
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• 2009

Current research and development of high performance concrete, together with study of phenomena that are pertinent to impact resistance, have lead to a new generation of barriers with improved properties to resist impact loads. The paper reviews major properties and mechanisms that affect impact resistance of concrete barriers as per criteria that characterize the resistance. These criteria are the perforation limit, penetration depth and the amount of front and rear face damage. From the long-known, single strength parameter that used to represent the barriers' impact resistance, more of the concrete mix ingredients are now considered to be effective in determining it. It is shown that the size and hardness of the aggregates, use of steel fibers and micro-silica have different effects on performance under impact and on the resistance. Additional pertinent phenomena, such as the rate and size effects, confinement and local versus global response, are pointed out with their reference to possible future developments in the design of impact resisting concrete barriers.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.509-524
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• 2008

Containment structures not only are leak-tight barriers, but also may be subjected to impacts caused by tornado-generated projectiles, aircraft crashes or the fragments of missile warhead. This paper presents the results of an experimental study of the impact resistance of steel fiber-reinforced concrete against 45 g projectiles at velocity around 2500 m/s. An explosively formed projectile (EFP) was designed to generate an equivalent missile fragment. The formation and velocity of EFP are measured by flash x-ray. A switch made of double-layered thin copper sheets controlled the exposure time of each flash x-ray. The influence of the fiber volume fraction on the crater diameter of concrete slab and the residual velocity of the projectile were studied. The residual velocity of the projectile decreased as the fiber volume fractions increased. In this work, the residual velocity of the projectile was to 44% that of plain concrete when the fiber volume fraction exceeded 1.5%. Based on the present finding, steel fiber reinforced concrete with the fiber volume fraction exceeding 1.5% appear to be more efficient in protection against high velocity fragment impact.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.218-227
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• 2016

Background: Steam explosions may occur in nuclear power plants by molten fuel-coolant interactions when the external reactor vessel cooling strategy fails. Since this phenomenon can threaten structural barriers as well as major components, extensive integrity assessment research is necessary to ensure their safety. Method: In this study, the influence of yield criteria was investigated to predict the failure of a reactor cavity under a typical postulated condition through detailed parametric finite element analyses. Further analyses using a geometrically simplified equivalent model with homogeneous concrete properties were also performed to examine its effectiveness as an alternative to the detailed reinforcement concrete model. Results: By comparing finite element analysis results such as cracking, crushing, stresses, and displacements, the Willam-Warnke model was derived for practical use, and failure criteria applicable to the reactor cavity under the severe accident condition were discussed. Conclusion: It was proved that the reactor cavity sustained its intended function as a barrier to avoid release of radioactive materials, irrespective of the different yield criteria that were adopted. In addition, from a conservative viewpoint, it seems possible to employ the simplified equivalent model to determine the damage extent and weakest points during the preliminary evaluation stage.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.2135-2146
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• 2022

A nuclear energy facility is one of the most critical facilities to be safely protected during and after operation because the physical destruction of its barriers by an external attack could release radioactivity into the environment and can cause harmful effects. The barrier walls of nuclear energy facilities should be sufficiently robust to protect essential facilities from external attack or sabotage. Physical protection system (PPS) vulnerability assessment of a typical small nuclear research reactor was carried out by simulating an external attack with a tri-nitro toluene (TNT) shaped charge and results are presented. The reinforced concrete (RC) barrier wall of the research reactor located at a distance of 50 m from a TNT-shaped charge was the target of external attack. For the purpose of the impact assessment of the RC barrier wall, a finite element method (FEM) is utilized to simulate the destruction condition. The study results showed that a hole-size of diameter 342 mm at the front side and 364 mm at the back side was created on the RC barrier wall as a result of a 143.35 kg TNT-shaped charge. This aperture would be large enough to let at least one person can pass through at a time. For the purpose of the PPS vulnerability assessment, an Estimate of Adversary Sequence Interruption (EASI) model was used, which enabled the determination of most vulnerable path to the target with a probability of interruption equal to 0.43. The study showed that the RC barrier wall is vulnerable to a TNT-shaped charge impact, which could in turn reduce the effectiveness of the PPS.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.567-576
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• 2017

The object of this research is an establishment of BIM-based quantity takeoff(QTO) and cost estimation guidelines for reinforcement concrete structures focused on improvement of field applicability in transition period from 2D drawing-based environment to 3D BIM-based environment. Preliminary studies on existing guidelines and standards for BIM modeling, QTO and cost estimation of reinforcement concrete structures are performed, and then a standardization of BIM-based cost estimation process is proposed through comparative analysis between 2D drawing-based cost estimation process and 3D BIM-based. In addition, modeling, QTO, and cost estimation processes of cost-BIM model for RC structures are conducted. The contributions of this research and the guidelines suggested by this research are 1) lowering barriers to entity to the new BIM-based environment for small size companies, 2) reducing construction cost by a close estimate, 3) establishing the foundation for integrated management of informations through construction project life cycle, 4) and ultimately, developing the BIM ecosystems.