Failure of masonry walls under high velocity impact – A numerical study

This paper reports a study on the failure of masonry walls subject to vehicular impacts. The investigation encompasses homogenised material model incorporating strain rate effects suitable for impact dynamic applications using layered shell element formulation in an explicit finite framework. As focus is walls, simplicity impactor conservatively modelled as rigid and crashing normal surface wall. mode, contact-impact forces energy dissipation characteristics wall are reported. It shown that with increase velocity, damage area reduces, progressively plateuing equal contacting impactor. phenomenon defined this parameter termed index, which ratio at zone. Damage index be useful assess velocity impacting vehicles forensic investigations. Sensitivity incident global vibration local impacted reported; exit also Examination aspect ratio, boundary conditions position relative supported edges shows these parameters not sensitive failures.