| Summary: | The ability of an object to withstand the effects of mechanical shock on its structural integrity defines its crashworthiness. This paper presents the simulation study of the crashworthiness characteristics of a pre-used commercial marine fender including their peak accelerations (Gpeak) and shock energy absorptions. Three test specimens of thicknesses 10 mm, 20 mm and 30 mm are modeled using HyperMeshTM. The peak acceleration responses of the specimens under half-sine shock waves at 50G, 60G and 70G are numerically determined using the LS-DYNA® solver tool under linear dynamic loading. The shock waves are generated by dropping a 5-kg payload from heights ranging between 50 mm and 300 mm onto a padded shock seat for a pulse duration from 5 to 8 ms. The Gpeak of the specimens are also experimentally measured and analytically computed to validate the numerical results. The shock energy absorptions (SEA) of the test specimens are calculated using analytical formulations in relation to the measured and simulated Gpeak. The effects of introducing tubular perforations in the specimens on the resulting Gpeak and thereby the shock energy absorbing capacities are also investigated. It is found that the perforated specimens have generally lower Gpeak than their solid counterparts. The numerically determined Gpeak agree well with the experimental values. The predicted SEA, however, is sensitive to the thickness (or the corresponding mass) of the specimen. The accuracy of the predicted SEA improves by 84% with the increase in specimen thickness from 10 mm to 30 mm. Copyright © 2024 by ASME.
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