Mesoscopic analysis of reinforced concrete beams under impact loads

Concrete is the most widely used building materials in modern engineering structures, which could be collided by ships, vehicle, rockfall, etc. The dynamic behaviors of concrete members under impact loads are important for the structural safety. Thus, this study aims to propose an analysis method for various failure modes and dynamic responses of RC beams under impact loads. The concrete is modelled in detail by characterizing the aggregate, cement, and interfacial transition zone to describe the heterogeneity. The mesoscopic analysis model is comprehensively validated by the rapidly loading tests and drop hammer tests on RC beams, with comparisons of failure mode, dynamic capacity, impact force, deflection, scabbing size. Based on the above analysis, the present mesoscopic modeling approach is confirmed to be suitable for the impact resistance evaluation of RC beams.