Impact behaviour of concrete: a computational approach

The purpose of this study is to examine the numerical simulation of concrete specimens under high loading rates in tension. The data found in the literature are described: they show an increase in compressive and tensile strength as a function of the loading rate. To study this behaviour, we focused our attention on the assessment of the consistency model through the simulation of many experimental results related to a wide range of strain rates. In particular, the tests on unnotched and notched specimens performed at Delft University in recent years are examined. The proposed model is able to describe the increase in strength due to a high loading rate by an appropriate choice of the viscosity parameter.