Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Damage Characteristics of Rocks under Ballistic Penetration

Rock penetration is an inevitable problem in the study of drilling and projectile penetration. The penetration resistance of red sandstone and limestone was investigated at projectile speeds ranging from 600–1200 m/s. The damage characteristics of these rocks were studied via experimental tests and numerical simulations. The damage condition of the target surface, internal damage state and crack distribution were obtained. It was concluded that the maximum error of the numerical simulation and experimental results was not more than 10%. The penetration resistance of limestone was approximately 23.8% stronger than that of red sandstone. However, the energy absorption effect of limestone was weaker than that of red sandstone, and large cracks can be more easily formed. The compaction area of red sandstone was softer, with obvious crack compaction in the crater area, and particle detachment can more easily occur. Red sandstone was more sensitive to the impact angle of the projectile. With oblique penetration, the projectile was more likely to deflect inside the red sandstone target