Impact Effect on R.C. Slabs: Experimental Approach

An experimental program to study the effect of impact on reinforced concrete slabs was carried out. The experimental program attempted to simulate the striking of flying objects at the center of a reinforced concrete slab to study the response (dynamic deflection) of that slab due to this load. The program consisted of considering 5 cm‐thick reinforced concrete slabs as simply supported on a rigid horizontal steel frame. A rigid missile simulated by a 12‐cm diameter steel ball was allowed to fall freely from heights up to 120‐cm on the center of this slab. The measured slab dynamic deflections was then monitored versus time using reliable instrumentation. Aspects that affect the slab's response to impact were investigated. The aspects investigated in this study include the relationship between slab reinforcement and dynamic deflection, and the relationship between the velocity of the rigid missile at impact and the obtained deflection. Results of this experimental program are compared with the results obtained by using three different analytical approaches published previously. In general, the trend of the dynamic deflections measured at the center of the reinforced concrete slabs agree best with one of the analytical methods.