Numerical Analysis of Low-Velocity Deformable Projectile Impact on Steel Columns

The AA 2014-T6 series of Aluminum is widely utilized in aerospace and defense applications as an airframe in missiles etc., due to its lightweight, strength, and resistance to corrosion. In current defense operations, low-velocity projectiles are employed to neutralize enemy targets within buildings. The present challenge is to evaluate the damage caused by the low-velocity projectile such that it does not cause significant structural damage to the building without compromising its functionality of neutralizing the enemy targets. To assess the stability of a building, it is crucial to study the stability of columns, as they play a significant role in maintaining the building's structural stability. Steel tubular sections are frequently used in modern constructions due to their structural efficiency and aesthetic appearance. This study focuses on investigating the impact of low-velocity projectiles(AA 2014-T6) on steel columns through various numerical analyses. Quasi-static and high strain rate characterization of aluminum and steel materials are performed to derive Johnson–Cook parameters from experimental tests. The obtained parameters were imported to Abaqus for numerical studies, where models were created using a projectile with an impact velocity of 20 m/s. The model is analyzed by varying parameters such as column thickness and the cross-sectional shape of the column. The results showed that as the column thickness increases, the deformation of the projectile increases while the out-of-plane deformation of the column decreases. Conducting experimental investigations on projectile impact is expensive and time-consuming; hence, the findings from the numerical analysis of this study form the basis for designing an experimental program to validate the results, which can be the future scope of this study.