Structural Response Models for Masonry and Stud Walls

Engineering-level tools for weapon/target interaction analysis are used to design new weapons by evaluating their potential effectiveness against various types of military targets. Tools such as MEVA (Modular Effectiveness/Vulnerability Assessment) have been developed in response to a need for a fast-running computer code that can accurately model the penetration of a structure and the resulting damage. The current predictive capabilities of the MEVA code for masonry and stud walls are based on a methodology that has several limitations, including the representation of only one response mode (e.g., flexure); the use of simple loading models that exclude weapon casing fragment effects; the use of simple material models that neglect rate effects; and the production of limited output. This proposal seeks to develop fast-running models (FRMs) to predict the response of a variety of masonry and stud walls to a range of air-dropped munitions. The FRMs will be based on high-fidelity physics-based (HFPB) analytical models, which can provide results at a higher level of realism than their predecessors, yet with the same rapid computational speed. These FRMs will significantly improve the predictive accuracy of MEVA and other assessment codes in the area of masonry and stud wall response.