Experimental and mesoscopic modeling numerical researches on steel fiber reinforced concrete slabs under contact explosion

Abstract

This paper presents experimental research on the damage characteristics of steel fiber reinforced concrete slabs (SCS), steel fiber reinforced concrete slabs mixed with fly ash (CFS), and steel fiber reinforced concrete slabs mixed with fly ash and slag (CFSS) under contact explosion loads. The findings reveal that SCS and CFS exhibit crater damage on the top surface, spalling failure on the bottom surface, and certain damage cracks under the same contact explosion load. Additionally, the CFSS displays crater and spalling damage along with a through-hole at the center. Comparative analysis demonstrates that CFS offers the best explosion resistance properties. A reliable three-dimensional mesoscopic modeling using PYTHON and ABAQUS is established to analyze the dynamic response of the CFS, emphasizing its dependence on fiber volume. Furthermore, the study evaluates energy changes in the matrix and steel fiber to understand their impact on the slab's damage dimensions under contact explosion. Results indicate that the mesoscopic modeling effectively reflects structure damage and failure behavior under explosive super dynamic loads. Specifically, for CFS, with a steel fiber volume of 1.3%, the internal energy and stress generated by steel fiber are maximized, resulting in the smallest damage dimension under contact explosion and the best explosion-resistant effect. This research provides valuable insights for guiding the design of explosion-resistant structures and their deployment in concrete engineering applications.