Experimental investigation into the force propagation velocity due to hard impacts on reinforced concrete members

This paper presents data from a number of experiments carried out to measure the rate with which the force from an impact propagates from hard impacts on reinforced concrete members. It has been demonstrated that a finite, measurable time exists between a concentrated impact occurring and the force being experienced at the supports. The data presented in this paper shows a clear link between the span/depth ratio and the velocity with which the force propagates from the point of impact and shows that this relationship is non-linear. The paper concludes by discussing how this data can be related to the failure mode of impact loaded reinforced concrete members, which has been shown by many authors to become more brittle as the rate of loading increases.