Enhanced damage modelling of steel wire ring nets subjected to repeated rockfall impacts

Abstract

Rockfall hazards present significant challenges in modelling the damage behaviour of flexible barrier systems, particularly under repeated impact conditions. In this study, we developed an enhanced model to predict the performance degradation and failure of steel wire ring nets under such impacts. Compared to previous numerical models, this model improves the accuracy of damage analysis from the individual ring scale to the steel wire scale. First, we derived geometric equations for wire winding within a single ring. Furthermore, we coupled ductile and shear damage criteria with the material’s constitutive equation to consider stress-state-dependent damage behaviour. Model parameters were calibrated using quasi-static destructive tests and validated through repeated impact tests. Results demonstrate the model’s effectiveness in predicting the damage evolution of the ring net and replicating wire redistribution and sectional modulus changes during the impact process. The findings highlight the critical role of frictional interactions in energy dissipation during repeated impacts. This irreversible and repeatable friction significantly enhances the ring net’s energy absorption capacity, accounting for 53.1–62.5% of the total and surpassing the energy dissipation from the elastic and plastic deformation of the steel wire.