Elucidating the mechanical behavior of ultra-high-strength concrete under repeated impact loading

The response of concrete to transient dynamic loading has received extensive attention for both civil and military applications. Accordingly, thoroughly understanding the response and failure modes of concrete subjected to impact or explosive loading is vital to the protection provided by fortifications. Reactive powder concrete (RPC), as developed by Richard and Cheyrezy (1995) in recent years, is a unique mixture that is cured such that it has an ultra-high compressive strength. In this work, the concrete cylinders with different steel fiber volume fractions were subjected to repeated impact loading by a split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) device. Experimental results indicate that the ability of repeated impact resistance of ultra-high-strength concrete was markedly superior to that of other specimens. Additionally, the rate of damage was decelerated and the energy absorption of ultra-high-strength concrete improved as the steel fiber volume fraction increased.