Energy absorbing system made of high performance concrete

This paper is devoted to the experimental development of a high load bearing energy absorbing system (EAS) made of high performance concrete (HPC). The HPC investigated in this study was a self-consolidating concrete with fast strength development which did not require heat curing or special mixing techniques. It was also an inherently very dense material which lead to the excellent environmental resistance and resulted in the long term durability. The proposed EAS was subjected to the thorough testing and its functionality was verified under impact and quasi-static loading. Numerical simulations were compared with the experimental data and good agreement was obtained. It was demonstrated that it is possible to develop an energy absorbing system made of high performance concrete with controlled impact force and deceleration. This demonstration together with load bearing capability and long term durability, predetermined the developed EAS for wide range of applications including those where currently manufactured energy absorbers cannot be applied.