New method for predicting perforation parameters of a concrete slab target to a penetrating projectile

The present paper investigates the perforation of a projectile through a concrete slab and proposes a new approach for assessing the perforation parameters, including the projectile residual velocity, and the slab perforation and ballistic limits. The new approach is rather simple and easy to implement and provides a fast solution. A new parameter denoted the "pseudo-residual velocity (VP)" is defined and is theoretically calculated. For a given slab thickness H0 , the magnitude of VP(H0) is always smaller than the corresponding true residual velocity. The developed approach reduces the determination of the perforation parameters to a sequence of pseudo-perforation problems that are quickly solved using the modified (hybrid) DISCS method, which had been developed for penetration analysis into thick targets, using the constitutive equations of the slab concrete ma-terial. In contrary to many other simplified models, the proposed approach is based on a theoretical model and engineering insight and does not require any empirical constants, or calibrations prior to the analysis. Numerous examples compare the proposed approach predictions to test results, covering different types of concrete, slab thicknesses and projectile impact velocities. In all comparisons, very good predictions of the proposed approach are demonstrated.