Shock-Absorbing Concrete (SACON®) is medium-density fiber-reinforced concrete developed by researchers at ERDC's Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory for use as an energy-absorbing material. When cast into blocks and panels and used as a building material, SACON® offers the unusual advantages of absorbing projectiles and eliminating ricochets. SACON® buildings have been constructed as live-fire training facilities for military operations in urban terrain exercises. Also, SACON® facilities have been used at several Army live-fire training villages and as an assault house for the Drug Enforcement Administration in Los Angeles, CA.
SACON® consists of portland cement, sand, water, preformed foam, and fibers. It was developed to prevent ricochets from 5.56-mm ammunition and to contain fragments from fragmentation hand-grenades. The medium-density material allows projectiles and blast wave forms to be attenuated to a regulated depth. The fibers form a network system to absorb projectiles, reduce spalls, and minimize cracks. SACON® facilities can be constructed by engineer troops or through conventional construction contracts, or purchased from a vendor.
By combining SACON® with another GSL-developed product (GEL-COR™), GSL researchers developed a new environmentally friendly bullet-trapping system. The system uses SACON® as the frame around the outside of the trap and GEL-COR™ as the interior bullet-trapping medium. |
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