Local damage assessment of turbine missile impact on composite and multiple barriers

Fracture of rotary machines could result in turbine missiles, which are the irregularly shaped projectiles travelling at high velocities. The impact of such missiles on barriers in nuclear power plants has the potential to cause severe damages to the facilities, and endanger public safety. This paper applies the available damage assessment models for composite and multiple barriers to test data from experimental works of the past 2 decades. A method of analysis is used in which the missile\u27s residual velocity after perforating each layer becomes the impact velocity for the next layer. The study indicates that composite action of dissimilar materials acting as a single unit improves the efficiency of the barrier. Recommendations are made as to the most accurate models and most appropriate parameters for barriers made of concrete and steel layers. © 1997 Elsevier Science S.A