%0 Journal Article
%T Full
%A Akiko Hama
%A Koji Maegawa
%A Shen Hsiang Hsu
%J International Journal of Protective Structures
%@ 2041-420X
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/2041419617728087
%X Shock absorbers are often situated on top of rock-sheds to mitigate the effects of geological disasters such as rockfalls. In this study, three full-scale impact load tests, with impact energies of approximately 250, 500, and 1000£¿kJ, investigated a new type of shock absorber comprising expanded polystyrene, steel material, and sand cushion. Comparing the results of the full-scale tests with the results through sand cushion¡ªa common material used for shock absorbers¡ªthe maximum impact load in this study was reduced by around 50% than the empirical formula suggested by a rockfall mitigation code. Besides, the study utilized LS-DYNA finite element software to find out the limitation of energy absorption, accuracy of simulation, input parameters for inferential impact formulas of the shock absorber, and to generate a reasonable simulation for use in further research and design of rock-sheds
%K Rockfall
%K rock-shed
%K shock absorber
%K impact load
%K expanded polystyrene
%K finite element method (FEM)
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2041419617728087