Design strategies for fragment and projectile penetration into steel and concrete structural elements using CONWEP

Designers who design structures to mitigate against blast loadings (Remennikov 2007) have another duty and that is to design for the effects of fragmentation not only caused from bulk explosives, but also impact from projectiles. Impact causes damage to a structure and inevitably results in debris from penetration and perforation (breach) of the structural elements. This debris is in fact the result of the damage outcome to a structure either from the blast loading or projectile impact. Fragmentation (Bangash 2006) is the end result of the blast waves impacting the structural elements resulting in scabbing and spall both of which manifest themselves in the production of fragmentation. This fragmentation is propelled outwards at velocity causing supplementary damage to the structure, adjoining structures and individuals caught near the fragmentation. Those designing for fragmentation must consider many parameters from the geometry of the impacted structural element, to the velocity of the fragments, the weight of the fragments and the range of the fragments. As has been said the fragments cause damage and the designers overall duty is to design to mitigate against damage and death or injury to individuals. The pool of worldwide knowledge on this topic is growing exponentially particularly as the need arises with weapons of high velocity and sophisticated projectiles of extreme lethality and range.