Low-velocity impact behaviour of functionally graded UHPC sandwich retrofitted concrete barriers

IF 6.6 1区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, CIVIL

Thin-Walled Structures Pub Date : 2025-09-23 DOI:10.1016/j.tws.2025.114018

Zheng Luo, Yinhui Wang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

To address the limitations of traditional retrofitting methods for reinforced concrete (RC) bridge barriers, this study proposes a novel functionally graded ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) sandwich barrier system incorporating an energy-absorbing expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam concrete core. This lightweight prefabricated system enables installation without removal of the existing barrier, ensures rapid construction, and significantly enhances impact resistance. Low-velocity impact tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of different EPS volume fractions, UHPC face-panel fibre types, and panel configurations on the impact performance of the sandwich structures. The results demonstrated that the specimens with EPS cores showed approximately 30 % lower peak impact forces than of those without cores. An EPS volume fraction of approximately 40 % achieved the best balance between core densification and overall stiffness, providing high energy dissipation and good deformation performance. Hybrid fibre reinforcement and rib-stiffened configurations further enhanced crack control, delayed failure, and promoted more uniform energy absorption. Based on these experimental findings, validated finite-element models confirmed the influence of EPS content and the thickness of different functional layers on the dynamic response, and identified an optimal configuration that balances energy dissipation and UHPC panel stiffness.

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功能分级UHPC夹层改造混凝土屏障的低速冲击性能

为了解决钢筋混凝土（RC）桥梁屏障传统改造方法的局限性，本研究提出了一种新型的功能分级超高性能混凝土（UHPC）夹层屏障系统，该系统包含吸能膨胀聚苯乙烯（EPS）泡沫混凝土核心。这种轻质预制系统可以在不移除现有屏障的情况下安装，确保快速施工，并显着提高抗冲击性。通过低速冲击试验，评估了不同EPS体积分数、UHPC面板纤维类型和面板配置对夹层结构冲击性能的影响。结果表明，带EPS岩心的试件的峰值冲击力比不带EPS岩心的试件低约30%。EPS体积分数约为40%时，芯层致密化和整体刚度之间达到了最佳平衡，提供了高能量耗散和良好的变形性能。混合纤维增强和肋加筋结构进一步增强了裂缝控制，延迟了破坏，促进了更均匀的能量吸收。基于这些实验结果，验证了有限元模型，验证了EPS含量和不同功能层厚度对动态响应的影响，并确定了平衡能量耗散和UHPC面板刚度的最佳配置。

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来源期刊

Thin-Walled Structures 工程技术-工程：土木

CiteScore

9.60

自引率

20.30%

发文量

801

审稿时长

66 days

期刊介绍： Thin-walled structures comprises an important and growing proportion of engineering construction with areas of application becoming increasingly diverse, ranging from aircraft, bridges, ships and oil rigs to storage vessels, industrial buildings and warehouses. Many factors, including cost and weight economy, new materials and processes and the growth of powerful methods of analysis have contributed to this growth, and led to the need for a journal which concentrates specifically on structures in which problems arise due to the thinness of the walls. This field includes cold– formed sections, plate and shell structures, reinforced plastics structures and aluminium structures, and is of importance in many branches of engineering. The primary criterion for consideration of papers in Thin–Walled Structures is that they must be concerned with thin–walled structures or the basic problems inherent in thin–walled structures. Provided this criterion is satisfied no restriction is placed on the type of construction, material or field of application. Papers on theory, experiment, design, etc., are published and it is expected that many papers will contain aspects of all three.