Reliability of double-wall containment against the impact of hard projectiles

Abstract Effectiveness of single or double-wall containment structures against a possible strike of projectiles, missiles or airplanes is well researched. However, how the uncertainties involved in the various design parameters influence the reliability of the containment is not very well known. In a double-wall containment structure, as name implies, there are two walls – an outer thick reinforced concrete (RC) wall and an inner thin steel shell/wall. In the present study, a simple probabilistic procedure based on Monte Carlo simulation technique is presented to study the reliability of double-wall containment structures against the impact of external hard projectiles on outer RC wall for varying impact velocities. In order to illustrate the proposed methodology, an idealized double-wall containment structure and a hard projectile were chosen. The probability of failure and the reliability indices of the selected double-wall containment structure were obtained for different striking velocities of the projectile and safety of the containment was correlated with the ballistic limit of the outer RC wall. The results of the study show that the double-wall containment is “safe enough” against the impact of the selected projectile if the projectile nominal velocity is less than 65% of the containment outer wall's nominal ballistic limit (VBL). Results also show that under the given uncertainties, if the nominal impact velocity is less than 65% of the nominal ballistic limit of the outer RC wall (i.e. 0.65VBL), failure probability of the containment is almost zero. However, when impact velocity is more than 0.90VBL, failure probability of the double-wall containment is quite high. It was also observed that a little change in the impact velocity over 0.90VBL may cause a phenomenal change in the containment reliability due to substantial change in the residual kinetic energy of the projectile. A number of sensitivity studies have also been carried out to obtain the results of practical interest.

[1]  Ravi C. Penmetsa,et al.  Determining probability of mission success when using deep penetration weapons , 2005 .

[2]  Qingming Li,et al.  Oblique and normal perforation of concrete targets by a rigid projectile , 2004 .

[3]  B. S. Altman,et al.  An empirical equation for penetration depth of ogive-nose projectiles into concrete targets , 1994 .

[4]  Y. Z. Chen,et al.  Normal perforation of reinforced concrete target by rigid projectile , 2008 .

[5]  G. G. Corbett,et al.  Impact loading of plates and shells by free-flying projectiles: A review , 1996 .

[6]  V. Jain,et al.  On Physics of Armor Penetration , 1958 .

[7]  Qingming Li,et al.  Dimensionless formulae for penetration depth of concrete target impacted by a non-deformable projectile , 2003 .

[8]  Nadeem A. Siddiqui,et al.  Reliability analysis of a buried concrete target under missile impact , 2002 .

[9]  W. Thomson,et al.  An Approximate Theory of Armor Penetration , 1955 .

[10]  Andrzej S. Nowak,et al.  Reliability of Structures , 2000 .

[11]  Baidurya Bhattacharya,et al.  Reliability-based partial safety factors for dual performance level design of prestressed inner containment shells in Indian nuclear power plants , 2013 .

[12]  Giuseppe Forasassi,et al.  Preliminary evaluation of aircraft impact on a near term nuclear power plant , 2011 .

[13]  M. J. Forrestal,et al.  Penetration of concrete targets with ogive-nose steel rods , 1998 .

[14]  D. K. Paul,et al.  Aircraft crash upon outer containment of nuclear power plant , 1996 .

[15]  Sang Hyo Kim,et al.  Long-term reliability evaluation of nuclear containments with tendon force degradation , 2013 .

[16]  Mahesh D. Pandey.  Reliability-based assessment of integrity of bonded prestressed concrete containment structures , 1997 .

[17]  Qingming Li,et al.  Deep penetration of a non-deformable projectile with different geometrical characteristics , 2002 .

[18]  Bong Koo Han,et al.  Serviceability design load factors and reliability assessments for reinforced concrete containment structures , 1998 .

[19]  Nadeem A. Siddiqui,et al.  Reliability of underground concrete barriers against normal missile impact , 2009 .

[20]  Nadeem A. Siddiqui,et al.  Reliability analysis of nuclear containment without metallic liners against jet aircraft crash , 2003 .

[21]  Nadeem A. Siddiqui,et al.  Reliability analysis of projectile penetration into geological targets , 2002, Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf..