SBIR-STTR Award

The overall objective of the proposed effort is to develop a user-friendly fast-running software tool that assesses the blast / ballistic performance of various bio-based construction products and compares their blast/ballistic performance, fabrication and installation cost, energy efficiency, and logistics complications with that of other conventional construction materials. Specific objectives for the Phase I effort include: (1) to combine analytical methodologies previously developed by Karagozian & Case, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Forest Products Laboratory to assess the blast and ballistic response of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) in a single prototype software tool, (2) to collate literature related to blast and ballistic impact that can be used for validation, and (3) to develop a software framework that is extensible, flexible, and capable of addressing energy efficiency, cost, and logistic considerations for CLT, other bio-based construction products, and conventional construction materials during a follow-on Phase II effort.

As bio-based composites see increased use in protective design more robust material data sets and alternative analysis tools are needed. Improved material characterization and the capability to evaluate close-in effects will enable engineers to evaluate a broader set of design configurations and loading conditions. Three technical objectives are proposed: comprehensively characterize the ballistic response of wood, initiate development of a high-fidelity analytical capability for wood, and extend/validate the analytical capabilities of the Bio-Composite Blast Load Analysis Software Tool (BCBLAST), a fast-running tool capable of assessing the response of bio-based composites to blast and ballistic loading. To this end a materials test program is proposed. Results from this test program will be used to develop a wood constitutive model for use in finite element analyses. In parallel, a comprehensive CLT ballistic test program is proposed along with improvements to the Phase I BCBLAST tool. Expected outcomes include: dynamic characterization test data, expanded ballistic impact datasets and improved penetration equations, a proof-of-concept wood constitutive model, and an updated version of BCBLAST. These outcomes provide an advancement of the state-of-knowledge with respect to wood material behavior and improved design tools to advance the deployment of wood materials in protective design settings.