DOI: 10.18503/1995-2732-2026-24-2-93-101
Abstract
Problem Statement (Relevance). The protection of transport and civil infrastructure in mountainous regions against rockfalls and debris flows requires the development of highly efficient protective barrier systems. Conventional ring-net barriers manufactured from high-carbon steel often reach the limit of their energy absorption capacity due to the material’s low ductility. Under dynamic impact loading, this frequently results in localized brittle fracture of the rings and subsequent barrier perforation. Therefore, the search for new materials capable of combining high strength with adaptive ductility is of considerable practical importance. Objectives. The aim of this study is to investigate and justify the feasibility of using Transformation-Induced Plasticity (TRIP) steels for the production of ring-net barrier components in order to enhance their energy absorption capacity. Methods Applied. The study has been conducted using computer simulation in the Abaqus. A finite-element dynamic model has been developed to simulate the interaction between a rigid indenter with a mass of 300 kg and a fragment of a ring-net barrier at impact velocities ranging from 10 to 20 m/s. Comparative simulations have been performed for barriers manufactured from conventional Grade 80 steel and metastable TRIP700 steel. To describe the TRIP effect, a constitutive model accounting for strain-rate-dependent yield strength and ductile damage criteria has been employed. Originality. For the first time, the concept of applying TRIP steels in wire-product manufacturing for engineering protection systems has been proposed and substantiated. It was established that the stress-induced transformation of retained austenite into martensite in regions of stress concentration provides a mechanism of dynamic strengthening, preventing premature strain localization at ring contact nodes. Result. The simulations demonstrated that the use of TRIP700 steel increases the energy absorption threshold of the structure by more than four times compared with conventional solutions. It has been shown that plastic energy dissipation (ALLPD) is the dominant energy absorption mechanism in TRIP steel, enabling complete arrest of the impacting object with minimal elastic rebound. In contrast, Grade 80 steel has exhibited a tendency toward instantaneous failure upon reaching critical impact velocities. Practical Relevance. The obtained results support the implementation of TRIP steels in the production of high-strength wire for rockfall protection systems. The proposed material enables the development of “self-adaptive” protective barriers with enhanced reliability and service life, capable of efficiently dissipating impact energy even under rigid anchoring conditions or in the event of damping element failure within anchor systems.
Keywords
Computer simulation, transformation-induced plasticity steel, ring-net barriers, geotextiles.
For citation
Konstantinov D.V., Korchunov A.G., Ogneva E.M., Komkova D.A. Assessment of the Feasibility of Trip Steels Application in the Manufacturing of Rockfall Protection Ring-Net Barriers. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo Gosudarstvennogo Tekhnicheskogo Universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2026, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 93-101. https://doi.org/10.18503/1995-2732-2026-24-2-93-101
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