A general concrete model in hydrocodes: Verification and validation of the Riedel–Hiermaier–Thoma model in LS-DYNA

The Riedel–Hiermaier–Thoma model, which is available in ANSYS Autodyn since 2000 as a description of concrete and similar geological materials in highly dynamic loading situations, has recently been implemented in the multi-purpose Finite Element code LS-DYNA. This article gives a brief overview of the physical details and verifies the new implementation by comparing single element test results with the established Autodyn code. Four real cases, ranging from low to very high pressure loading by impact, penetration and blast, are used to demonstrate thereafter the validity of the model in a wide range of applications. Simulation results from both codes are compared to experimental data at several occasions. Although slight differences between the implementations are observed, the overall agreement, both between the codes and with experiments, is very good. The systematic work in this publication demonstrates that the Riedel–Hiermaier–Thoma model is a useful addition to the LS-DYNA material library and shall motivate research to apply the model over a wide range of applications. A comprehensive, physically derived dataset is provided for a C70/85 high-strength concrete used in one validation case.