Perforation of Composite Floors

Rapid construction methods for multi storey buildings involve maximising the tasks that can be carried out simultaneously on site. The risks of construction workers, fitting out lower floors, being hit by large objects dropped during installation can be managed by understanding the protection provided by the intermediate floors. This paper describes a Finite Element based methodology for assessing the impact event using LS-Dyna. The aim of the method is to evaluate low velocity impacts of heavy objects dropped onto concrete floors in order to establish the potential for perforation. The methodology is validated by comparing the simulation results with empirical penetration formulae available for concrete structures and with some experimental results. It is concluded that the perforation limits can be predicted with good confidence, but that further experimental research in the low velocity range is desirable.