QUT is developing a state-of-the-art Impact Testing Facility with funding assistance from an ARC LEIF grant and ten partner universities. The facility will enable detailed study of civil and mechanical structures, components and materials subject to impact velocities up to 50m/s and energy up to 120kJ. That is the energy of 100kg moving at 180kph. Such destructive impacts typically occur in vehicular collision and severe weather events.

It will generate high velocity, horizontal impacts of 1m/s to 50m/s with projectile mass up to 100kg and energy up to 120kJ. A strong floor will be used for realistic loading of target specimens when required. Comprehensive instrumentation of both projectile and its target will provide force vector, velocity, acceleration, displacement and strain gauge data. High speed cameras with Digital Image Correlation software will measure surface strain fields. The resulting data will facilitate research into new materials, design philosophies and effective retrofitting of high-risk buildings, infrastructure and armoured vehicles.