Experimental and numerical investigations on EH36 steel plates subjected to quasi-static penetration and repeated dynamic impact loads

Abstract

To investigate the differences in structural response of EH36 steel plates under quasi-static penetration and repeated dynamic impact loads, a series of experimental and numerical studies were conducted. An impact test platform was fabricated for both quasi-static and dynamic loading modes. Eight rectangular plates and eight stiffened plates were tested, in which two different contact modes based on the rotation of the indenter were considered. By conducting the uniaxial tensile test and the high strain rate tensile test, the damage model based on the B-W fracture criterion was established. The effect of strain rate was considered, and a calibration approach to improve the sensitivity of mesh size was proposed. Both quasi-static and dynamic numerical analysis agreed well with the test results, and the established finite element analysis approach provided a reliable prediction of structural failure under the impact loads.