Numerical study on steel plate-concrete composite walls subjected to projectile impacts

Local responses of steel plate-concrete composite (SC) walls under impact loads are typically evaluated using design equations available in the AISC N690s1-15. These equations enable design of impact-resistant SC walls, but some essential parts such as the effects of wall size and shear reinforcement ratio have not been addressed. Also, since they were developed for design basis events, improved equations are required for accurate prediction of the impact behaviors of SC walls for beyond design basis impact evaluation. This paper presents a numerical study to construct a robust numerical model of SC walls subjected to impact loads to reasonably predict the SC-wall impact behavior, to evaluate the findings observed from the impact tests including the effects of the key design parameters, and to assess the actual responses of full-scale SC walls. The numerical calculations are validated using intermediate-scale impact tests performed previously. The influences of the fracture energy of concrete and the conservative aspects of the current design equations are discussed carefully. Recommendations are made for design practice.