Energy based load-impulse diagrams

A load-impulse (P-I) diagram is a useful tool in preliminary strength design and damage assessment. Current approaches to derive P-I diagrams are primarily based on numerical dynamic analyses of the structural system. Further, there are no general energy based solutions that define P-I relationships, and very little has been done to address energy flow as a basis for P-I diagrams. Since the behavior of a structural member is governed by the amount and rate of external energy input and its ability to dissipate energy, defining energy flow relationships will characterize the entire domain of structural responses and corresponding damage. This paper presents a comprehensive energy flow approach to enable one to define the entire P-I domain, and illustrates the application of an energy-based P-I diagram. The results are validated using test data and numerical tools, such as DSAS.