Numerical evaluation of prestressed concrete slabs subjected to impact loading
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7764/RDLC.25.1.129Abstract
Reinforced concrete (RC) structural elements could be exposed to impact loads due to several reasons in their expected service lives. However, impact loading is often overlooked in the design phase of RC elements, unlike quasi-static or other dynamic loads, such as earthquake and wind loads. Because sudden impact loads can cause significant damage to structural systems within a short period, they may result in substantial damage to a structural element or the collapse of the entire structure. Structural engineers tend to investigate the effects of impact loads both experimentally and numerically. This study aims to determine the dynamic responses and failure modes of prestressed concrete slabs. For this purpose, an improved finite element analysis that incorporates prestress effect and strain-rate effects for concrete and steel materials has been developed to investigate the impact behavior of prestressed concrete slabs. To validate the finite element analysis, maximum impact force and displacement values, as well as the residual displacements and energy absorption capacities of the two specimens, were compared with the experimental results reported in a previous study. Subsequently, a parametric study was conducted using different analysis inputs, and the results were evaluated at the end.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Recep Tuğrul Erdem, Tolga Yılmaz, Mehmer Kamanlu, Ayşe Sefa Tezcan
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