This report presents some recent developments concerning the simulation of impacts with fragmentation using the EUROPLEXUS code. Developments are implemented in the code’s flying debris (DEBR) model and pinball-based (PINB) contact model. The present work builds upon the material presented in a previous reference, in which the basic flying debris model had been extended to cope with Automatic Mesh Refinement (AMR) and with element erosion. Here we re-consider and further develop the aspects of the debris model dealing with the impact of debris particles on still intact structures, which in turn may possibly fail and generate secondary debris (and so on, causing a chain reaction). The input syntax of the model is revised and improved in order to make such type of analysis easier to specify and more robust. The improvement of the flying debris model is accompanied by a generalization of the pinball-based contact model used, in particular, to treat the impact of debris particles on virgin structures or on other particles. To this end, the PINB model is generalized so that now various formulations (decoupled PRE, coupled, decoupled POST) may be freely mixed up in a single simulation. Among the JRC activities that will benefit from the present developments are the vulnerability assessment of critical infrastructure and the design of protective structures against accidental or deliberate explosions in urban environments, and more generally the studies in the field of security, counter-terrorism and defence, in particular as concerns drone and counter drone security.

CASADEI Folco;  LARCHER Martin; 

2026-07-31

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC147340

978-92-68-42336-3 (online),   

1831-9424 (online),   

EUR 40802,    OP KJ-01-26-330-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC147340,   

10.2760/0593359 (online),