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Title no.92-M5
The effects of strain rate on the tensile and compressive properties of plain operation of the SHPB are presented in detail by Kolsky1 and
concrete specimens 51 mm in diameter were studied both experimentally Nicholas.2 A very detailed examination of the theory and prin-
and numerically. Quasistatic tests at strain rates of 10–7/sec to 10–3/sec
were conducted using a standard material test machine. Higher strain rate
ciples involved in the SHPB is given by Jerome,3 and specific
tests of 1.0/sec to 300/sec were conducted in a 51-mm-diameter split-Hop- details of the 51-mm-diameter SHPB are given by Ross.4
kinson pressure bar (SHPB). Numerical simulations of both the static and The basic assumption of the SHPB is that the stresses in
dynamic tests were conducted through a comprehensive finite element the specimen are uniformly distributed along the length and
method investigation. Experimentally observed crack patterns agreed very through the cross-sectional area of the specimen. To more
well with the predicted numerical responses. Both tension and compression
strengths increase with strain rate and exhibit a critical strain rate beyond
accurately establish actual stress distributions in the concrete
which large increases in strength occur. This critical strain rate is approxi- specimens tested in this study, a comprehensive finite
mately 5/sec for tension and approximately 60/sec for compression. Beyond element method (FEM) analysis was conducted using the
these critical strain rates, the tensile strength shows a larger percentage ADINA5 computer programs. Both linear and nonlinear
increase than the compressive strength. The effect of moisture on the analyses were performed.
dynamic compressive strength of concrete was also examined in the experi-
mental study.
Three types of experiments were conducted in the SHPB
testing program: 1) direct compression, 2) direct tension, and
Keywords: compressive strength; concretes; cracking (fracturing);
3) splitting tensile. The basic specimens used in the experi-
dynamic loads; finite element method; splitting tensile strength; strains; ments were right cylindrical, 51 mm in length and diameter.
tensile strength. For the direct tension experiments, both square-notch and
saddle-notch specimens were tested. Details of the SHPB
Most materials exhibit some load-rate or strain-rate sensi- specimens are presented in Fig. 1. Specimen arrangements for
tivity relative to strength. Strain-rate effects in materials, the three types of experiments are presented in Fig. 2.
induced by high-amplitude short-duration impulse loads, are A range of strain rates associated with testing of concrete
important in the design and analysis of structures to resist may be obtained if one compares the time required to reach a
dynamic loads from conventional weapons explosions, acci- strain of 0.003 in the very low load rate of a standard concrete
dental explosions, and high-speed impact. Analytical and cylinder test to the loading pulse of a close proximity conven-
numerical modeling of such events requires knowledge of tional explosion. The loading time for the low load rate
dynamic material properties, response mechanisms, fracture cylinder test is approximately 30 min or 1.8 × 103 sec,
mechanics, and constitutive relations. Laboratory experi- resulting in a strain rate of 1.7 × 10–6/sec (3 × 10–3/1.8 × 103).
ments and equipment required to investigate material prop- The loading pulse of a conventional explosion is on the order
erties at high load or strain rates must simulate an of 1.0 × 10–4 sec with a strain rate of 30/sec (3 × 10–3/1 × 10–4).
environment very similar to that of the field. The split-
Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) is capable of producing RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE
high strain-rate loadings in the range of 10/sec to 104/sec on The primary objective of this research was to enhance the
small specimens, inducing uniform stress over the length of understanding of the response of plain concrete to high-load
the specimen. rate and high-strain rate impulsive loadings. The anticipated
A 51-mm-diameter SHPB was used in this study to exper- results of the study are determination of dynamic material
imentally determine high strain-rate material properties and properties, failure mechanisms, and crack patterns for
observe failure/fracture mechanisms of plain concrete. The concrete failure in both tension and compression.
SHPB was first used by Kolsky1 to measure dynamic material
properties. Many researchers have used the SHPB to study ACI Materials Journal, V. 92, No. 1, January-February 1995.
dynamic properties of a variety of materials such as metals, Received Feb. 2, 1993, and reviewed under Institute publication policies. Copyright
© 1995, American Concrete Institute. All rights reserved, including the making of
ceramics, concrete, oil shale, soil, foams, plastics, and copies unless permission is obtained from the copyright proprietors. Pertinent discus-
sion will be published in the November-December 1995 ACI Materials Journal if
composite materials. The applications and principles of received by Aug. 1, 1995.
with increasing strain rate, but in all cases the classical small
triangular-shaped pieces associated with the loading points
were formed last.
lation of the splitting tensile experiments have been Table 3—Summary of SHPB square-notch results
presented in References 6, 7, and 10. Load Incident Transmitted Dynamic Loading
case stress σI, stress στ, tensile stress rate σ· , Strain rate
no. MPa MPa ftn, MPa MPa/sec ε· , sec–1
Direct tension tests
The direct tension test has seldom been used to evaluate 1 26.5 4.5 9.31 6.01 × 106 4.9
2 67.0 4.0 7.59 6 5.3
the tensile strength of concrete. This is because of the diffi- 1.48 × 10
culties of holding the specimens to achieve axial tension and 3 75.0 4.1 7.93 2.08 × 106 5.8
uncertainties of secondary stresses induced by the holding Note: 1 MPa =145 psi.
devices. Recently, however, direct tension tests using the
SHPB have been successfully conducted.4 Two types of
tensile specimens were tested: a square-notch specimen and
[Fig. 1(b)] and saddle-notch specimen [Fig. 1(c)]. Speci-
mens were 51 mm in diameter and length. All specimens σ·-
ε· = ---- (4)
were cemented to the ends of the SHPB with a nonepoxy Es
concrete cement. The bar and specimen surfaces were cleaned
in a manner similar to that used for surface cleaning before the where τ is the time lag between the start of the transmitted
placement of foil-electrical resistance strain gages. stress wave and maximum transmitted stress, and Es is the
Numerical analyses were performed on SHPB direct static modulus of elasticity of the specimen material. The
tension tests conducted for three different loading condi- static modulus of elasticity was used because only limited,
tions. A stress-versus-time history for a typical test is illus- highly scattered dynamic data are available. Based on other
trated in Fig. 10. In these tests, it is assumed that the dynamic experimental data accumulated by the authors,4,7 the
tensile strength at the notch ftn is proportional to the trans- modulus of elasticity of concrete appears to be relatively
mitted stress σT through the expression strain-rate independent. A summary of the results obtained
from the SHPB square-notch tests are presented in Table 3.
ftn = σT Ar (1) To provide an accurate numerical simulation of the SHPB
direct tension tests, a detailed FEM model of the specimens
in which and portions of the incident and transmitter bars was
constructed. A partial illustration of the axisymmetric FEM
Db
2 model for the square-notch analyses is presented in Fig. 11(a).
A r = --------
2
- (2) The incident and transmitter bars are each comprised of 1633
D bn nine-node, axisymmetric finite elements, and the specimen
is comprised of 476 elements. The load was applied
where Ar is the area ratio, Db is the diameter of the uniformly at the free end of the incident bar. The particular
Hopkinson bar, and Dn is the diameter of the specimen at the FEM topology employed in the analyses was based on wave
notch. propagation considerations.6,8,12
Additionally, the loading rate σ· and strain rate ε· in the The cracking sequence for a direct tension square-notch
specimen can be estimated from the expressions11 specimen for a strain rate of 5.3/sec (load case 2) is presented
in Fig. 12. The nonlinear FEM analyses indicate cracking at
f tn both the center notch and incident end of the specimen.
σ· = ----
- (3)
τ However, the predicted mode of failure is dependent on the
strain rate. For a low strain rate (load case 1), failure occurs Direct compression tests
at the notch; for an intermediate strain rate (Fig. 12), failure Numerical simulations of several direct compression
occurs simultaneously at the notch and incident ends of the experiments were also conducted. A summary of the results
specimen; and for a high strain rate (load case 3), failure for these SHPB experiments is presented in Table 4. A
occurs at the incident end of the specimen.12 Similar partial illustration of the axisymmetric direct compression
behavior patterns were exhibited in the saddle-notch experi- model is presented in Fig. 11(b). A 1321-mm segment of
ments and numerical simulations. both the incident and transmitter bars were modeled with
In both the experimental and numerical analyses, the 1594 nine-node, axisymmetric elements. The FEM model
direct tension failures appear to occur in the rise-time portion for the specimen was comprised of 358 nine-node, axisym-
of the loading curve, which indicates that the specimen is not metric elements. The longitudinal axis of the model is the z-
uniformly stressed along the length. This implies that the axis and the transverse axis is the y-axis. All loads were
specimen fails as the stress wave front propagates along it. applied uniformly at the free end of the incident bar. The
Uniformity of stress occurs in the immediate vicinity of the failure sequence for the high strain-rate case (200/sec)
notch area, but the extent of the damage zone or gage length predicted by nonlinear FEM analysis is presented in Fig. 14.
is unknown. The unknown gage length or “specimen length” First cracking occurs at the incident end of the specimen at
is the reason for not treating the experimental tensile strain time t = 230 μsec [Fig. 14(a)]. At time t = 249 μsec [Fig. 14(b)],
rate data in the usual SHPB fashion. Results of previously substantial crushing in the specimen is observed at both the
conducted numerical analyses6,8,12 indicate that uniformity incident and transmitter ends. At time t = 255 μsec [Fig. 14(c)],
able with loading rates. These two solutions are also illus-
trated in Fig. 4 and compare very favorably with the
experimental data.
It has been suggested that the strain-rate sensitivity of
Fig. 13—Time history predicted by FEM analysis for longi- concrete may be attributed to the presence of water in the
tudinal stress σz in square-notch specimen for load case 2 cured concrete. The effect of water content on concrete
(see transmitted trace of Fig. 10) (1 MPa = 145 psi).
strength at high strain rate was experimentally determined by
first establishing concrete drying curves (Fig. 5) and then
testing concrete specimens with various water contents in the
SHPB. Results of the dry concrete tests are shown in Fig. 6.
approximately 75 percent of the specimen has been crushed. Results for the completely wet concrete, with the same mix
At time t = 275 μsec [Fig. 14(d)], most of the specimen has as the dry concrete, are shown in Fig. 7, and results for the
been crushed (approximately 85 percent) and failure occurs. half-dry concrete specimens are presented in Fig. 8. It
This simulation suggests that the specimen is pulverized at appears from Fig. 7 and 8 that the wet and partially wet
failure, consistent with the observed experimental results for concretes show a higher strain-rate sensitivity than dry
this high strain rate. concrete of the same mix. However, if one compares the
static strength of the wet concrete to the dry concrete (Table 2),
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS the wet concrete has less strength than the dry concrete. If the
The sensitivity of concrete strength to strain rate is clearly findings of Reinhardt were applied here,15 i.e., as concrete
illustrated in Fig. 4. However, the threshold or critical strain strength decreases, low strain-rate sensitivity increases, one
rate at which concrete exhibits significant strength increase might expect a higher strain-rate sensitivity for the wet
is different for tension and compression, approximately 5/sec concrete. However, it is assumed that the Reinhardt data15
and 60/sec, respectively. Also, the tension curve exhibits are associated with concrete quality of different concrete
much higher strain-rate sensitivity than the compression mixes and would not necessarily apply here for different
data. The slope of the tension curve beyond a strain rate of strengths between wet and dry specimens of the same mix.
2.5/sec may be described by the equation With this in mind, increased rate-sensitivity and strength of
the wet specimens at the upper end of the low strain-rate
ftd = K ε· l/n (5) range are an effect due to the presence of excess moisture.
Effect of excess moisture is shown by the dashed curve of
in which ftd is the dynamic tensile strength, K is a proportion- Fig. 7. However, the slope of the strain-rate curve above a
ality constant, ε· is the strain rate, and l/n is the slope of strain rate of 50/sec is not expected to change. This is in good
log10(ftd) versus log10( ε· ). For the tensile data presented in agreement with experimental data. It has recently been
Fig. 4, the value of n is approximately 2.5. Using fracture shown experimentally16 that dry concrete shows no rate-
mechanics of brittle materials, Grady and Lipkin13 showed sensitivity up to strain rates of approximately 1.0/sec for
theoretically the value of n to be 3.0. direct tension, but wet concrete for the same test region
Using the uniformly distributed array of penny-shaped shows rather high rate-sensitivity. The same general conclu-
cracks, Weerheijm and Reinhardt14 calculated concrete sion may be drawn here for direct compression of concrete.
tensile strength for high-quality concrete (compressive Crack patterns generated by numerical analysis of the
strength of 50 MPa). Analytical solutions were performed splitting tensile test6,7,10 indicate that fracture does not
using a constant fracture energy and a fracture energy vari- initiate on the mid-diameter of the specimen for dynamic