A novel analytical framework for assessing the impact response of SFRC beam

Abstract

This paper presents a novel model for predicting the impact response of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams. The model utilizes the principles of energy conservation and impulse-momentum theorem to calculate the maximum reaction force and peak impact force. A tensile behavior model for simulating the concrete behavior is proposed considering the effect of volume fraction of steel fibers and the effect of strain rate on the concrete properties. Additionally, the conventional beam theory, along with a cross-section-layered approach, is used to express the total beam’s reaction forces vs deflection relationship. Afterwards, the model calculates the maximum midspan deflection of SFRC beams subjected to impact loading by applying the principle of conservation of energy and considering the effect of strain rate. The proposed model is compared with 121 impact tests, and the results show that the model can estimate the maximum reaction force of SFRC beams with acceptable accuracy.