A Simplified Procedure for Reliability Estimation of Underground Concrete Barriers against Normal Missile Impact

Abstract

Underground concrete barriers are frequently used to protect strategic structures like Nuclear power plants (NPP), deep under the soil against any possible high velocity missile impact. For a given range and type of missile (or projectile) it is of paramount importance to examine the reliability of underground concrete barriers under expected uncertainties involved in the missile, concrete, and soil parameters. In this paper, a simple procedure for the reliability assessment of underground concrete barriers against normal missile impact has been presented using the First Order Reliability Method (FORM). The presented procedure is illustrated by applying it to a concrete barrier that lies at a certain depth in the soil. Some parametric studies are also conducted to obtain the design values which make the barrier as reliable as desired.

Keywords

• missile, soil-penetration, projectiles, concrete barriers, structural reliability
• form