Structural Engineering and Mechanics, Vol. 60, No. 5 (2016) 829-849 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12989/sem.2016.60.5.829 829 Copyright © 2016 Techno-Press, Ltd. http://www.techno-press.org/?journal=sem&subpage=8 ISSN: 1225-4568 (Print), 1598-6217 (Online) Behaviour of GFRP composite plate under ballistic impact: experimental and FE analyses Md. Muslim Ansari  and Anupam Chakrabarti a Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee-247667, India (Received May 12, 2016, Revised September 11, 2016, Accepted September 21, 2016) Abstract. In this paper, experimental as well as numerical analysis of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) laminated composite has been presented under ballistic impact with varying projectile nose shapes (conical, ogival and spherical) and incidence velocities. The experimental impact tests on GFRP composite plate reinforced with woven glass fiber (0°/90°)s are performed by using pneumatic gun. A three dimensional finite element model is developed in AUTODYN hydro code to validate the experimental results and to study the ballistic perforation characteristic of the target with different parametric variations. The influence of projectile nose shapes, plate thickness and incidence velocity on the variation of residual velocity, ballistic limit, contact force-time histories, energy absorption, damage pattern and damage area in the composite target have been studied. The material characterization of GFRP composite is carried out as required for the progressive damage analysis of composite. The numerical results from the present FE model in terms of residual velocity, absorbed energy, damage pattern and damage area are having close agreement with the results from the experimental impact tests. Keywords: GFRP composite; ballistic impact; finite element analyses; projectile nose shape; damage analysis 1. Introduction FRP composites are versatile materials and used extensively in structural applications due to their virtues of being light in weight, having high stiffness and strength and ease of deployment. Some composite material like GFRP and Kevlar epoxy are resistive against thermal as well as chemical attack in most of the cases and hence these materials are widely used in retrofitting and marine structures like deck harbor, ship decks etc. Due to light weight and high stiffness of FRP composite, these materials are effectively used in the making of indoor and outdoor swimming pools, external body of racing bikes, roof sheeting and bridge deck etc. The laminated composite plate may undergo ballistic impact load, one of the critical load case that the target may encounter during their service condition in the field. Due to orthotropic and non-ductile nature of laminated FRP composite, behaviour of these materials are complicated mainly in terms of damage and its propagation under ballistic impact. The ballistic impact performance of laminated composite target Corresponding author, Ph.D., E-mail: muslimdecivil@gmail.com a Professor, E-mail: anupam1965@yahoo.co.uk