The ability to understand and predict how platforms and structures respond to impacts and high strain rate events is vital to optimising their design and specification and ensuring they react in a controlled and predictable manner.
We deliver a rare combination of state of the art modelling and prediction capability,supported by world-class experimental facilities for the characterisation of materials at very high strain rates.
Our Impact Dynamics Modelling and Testing facility is a best in class centre, able to offer a range of services and capabilities for the analysis of impact phenomena and dynamic material behaviour.
Our experts have built their expertise and knowledge base over many years with experience of modelling high velocity impacts, blast events and fluid structural interactions across a wide range of end applications and materials including buildings, composite and metallic structures. Combined with the use of commercial and inhouse developed codes operating on high performance computing platforms,we offer unique solutions in understanding and mitigating impact events. Such events include; modelling of fluid-structural interactions such as bird-strike, hydrodynamic ram, hammer shock and structural deformation under aerodynamic or other loads; modelling of explosive blast, injury prediction and building damage; modelling of structural crashworthiness and vehicle kinematics.
Complementing our theoretical and simulation analysis,we conduct supporting experiments which are designed, controlled and analysed
to deliver an understanding of actual material behaviour in the high strain rate regime. Our range of experimental facilities includes:
- Gas guns with the ability to record and analyse projectiles travelling and impacting at velocities up to 4,000 metres per second
- Characterisation of the high-strain rate behaviour of metals and fibre-reinforced composites using Hopkinson Bars
- Shock characterisation of materials using the flyer-plate technique at velocities up to 2,500 metres per second
- Techniques to study the dynamic behaviour of structural elements such as bolted and adhesive joints.
Our simulations and experimental results can be compared and validated to an exceptional degree of accuracy, providing our customers with the confidence and knowledge to specify, design and manufacture structures and platforms with known performance characteristics.
- Blast modelling on structures
- Dynamic behaviour studies
- Finite element analysis
- Fluid-structural interaction modelling
- Gas gun for high velocity impact studies
- High strain rate properties of materials
- High velocity impact modelling
- Shock characterisation of materials
- Vehicle kinematic modelling
