Characteristics of high performance reinforced concrete barriers that resist non-deforming projectile impact

Current research and development of high performance concrete, together with study of phenomena that are pertinent to impact resistance, have lead to a new generation of barriers with improved properties to resist impact loads. The paper reviews major properties and mechanisms that affect impact resistance of concrete barriers as per criteria that characterize the resistance. These criteria are the perforation limit, penetration depth and the amount of front and rear face damage. From the long-known, single strength parameter that used to represent the barriers' impact resistance, more of the concrete mix ingredients are now considered to be effective in determining it. It is shown that the size and hardness of the aggregates, use of steel fibers and micro-silica have different effects on performance under impact and on the resistance. Additional pertinent phenomena, such as the rate and size effects, confinement and local versus global response, are pointed out with their reference to possible future developments in the design of impact resisting concrete barriers.