Analysis of Damage in Laminated Architectural Glazing Subjected to Blast Loading

TLDR

Designing glazing to reduce injury and damage from bomb blasts requires understanding fracture behavior of architectural glazing under blast loading. A continuum damage mechanics model with an anisotropic elastic damage tensor and linear damage evolution was implemented in a finite element code to simulate laminated glass failure under blast loading. The model predicts damage patterns and zone sizes, and shows how geometric parameters influence laminated glass failure resistance.

Abstract

Any attempt to design glazing that minimizes bodily injury and property damage during a bomb blast requires a thorough understanding of the fracture behaviour of architectural glazing subjected to blast loading. A continuum damage mechanics (CDM) based constitutive model has been developed and implemented into a finite element code to study the failure and damage behaviour of laminated architectural glazing subjected to simulated blast loading. An anisotropic elastic damage tensor with a linear damage evolution law has been chosen to model the failure of the laminated glass by cracking. The damage patterns and zone sizes are predicted by the model. Various geometric parameters has been investigated to determine their effects on the failure resistance of laminated glass.