Purpose <p>Low-velocity / soft-drop impact incidents are on the rise owing to phenomena such as geomorphological instabilities, explosive detonations, gravitational object descents, vehicular impacts, structural failures, and additional occurrences prompted by natural calamities, human miscalculations, or infrastructure degradation. Despite their pivotal role in load dispersion and structural integrity, building slabs exhibit susceptibility to impairment from impacts owing to their limited lateral rigidity. Diverse scholars have explored an array of retrofit and enhancement methodologies, including the integration of transverse reinforcement, lattice bars, tensioned concrete, carbon/steel fiber reinforcements, high-performance concrete, hybrid fiber-reinforced polymers, and a myriad of other innovations, aiming to fortify slab resilience against impact-induced stresses. However, there remains a gap in understanding how alternative reinforcement strategies can optimize energy dissipation and minimize failure under such impacts. This study introduces an innovative approach, leveraging vertical studs as a novel reinforcement technique. Unlike conventional reinforcement methods, the proposed strategy focuses on enhancing energy dissipation and load transfer mechanisms to significantly mitigate damage during low-velocity impacts. By systematically investigating different configurations and placements of studs, this study seeks to establish an optimal reinforcement design that ensures superior structural performance. The study endeavors to elucidate the ramifications of studs as ancillary reinforcement affixed to the stratum of re-bars, and ascertain their optimal positioning to amplify the slab's robustness in resisting impulsive forces.</p> Methods <p>The research employed Abaqus' finite element technique to emulate soft drop impacts on slabs, guaranteeing meticulous reproduction of experimental parameters and intricate scrutiny of impact dynamics. This endeavor utilized the dynamic, explicit solver to precisely encapsulate transient loading phenomena and curtail computational overheads. Twelve slabs underwent scrutiny, each representing diverse arrangements of reinforcements. The numerical model was validated against experimental results available in the literature to ensure accuracy in predicting impact behavior. Comparisons and discussions are conducted regarding the load-carrying mechanisms, damage evolution, stress distributions, and overall structural response.</p> Results <p>The slabs, distinguished by their structural configurations—one featuring tension steel exclusively with 15&#xa0;mm height studs welded on both the lower and upper layers of rebars, and the other integrating 15&#xa0;mm height studs welded onto the upper layer of tension steel and the lower layer of compression steel—exhibited minimal damage, deformation, plastic strain, and shear stress. Moreover, the presence of vertical studs contributed to a more uniform stress distribution, delaying crack initiation and propagation, thereby improving structural integrity.</p> Conclusion <p>The efficacy of shear studs in bolstering structural resilience hinges on their strategic positioning and elevation within the slab. Optimal placement entails positioning studs between zones of tension and compression to facilitate seamless load transfer and stress dispersion. Moreover, the height of these studs is pivotal in optimizing their efficacy. This research underscores the transformative potential of employing vertical studs as a superior alternative to traditional reinforcement techniques, paving the way for cost-effective and efficient solutions to mitigate structural damage in various real-world impact scenarios. Future work should focus on experimental validation, long-term durability assessments, and potential scalability for large-scale applications in infrastructure resilience.</p>