Experimental and numerical study of boundary and anchorage effect on laminated glass windows under blast loading

Abstract

Over the years extensive studies have been conducted to analyze the response of laminated glass panes under blast loading for personnel and property protection. The failure modes of glass windows in most of those studies are related to flexural bending of the glass panel. The problems of laminated glass failure at boundaries along window frames, as well as the influences of window frame constrain effect and the interlayer anchorage on the overall response of laminated glass panels are less examined. In this paper, experimental and numerical studies are carried out to examine the boundary conditions and interlayer anchorages of laminated glass windows on their responses under blast loadings. Blast tests were designed and conducted on window specimens with different frame bite depths, fixed or sliding boundaries and different interlayer anchorages. Numerical model of laminated glass windows is also developed. The accuracy of the numerical model in prediction of glass window responses is verified by field blast testing results. The validated numerical model is used to perform intensive simulations to study the window boundary conditions and interlayer anchorage measures on glass window responses to blast loadings. The results demonstrate that properly designed window frame and interlayer anchorage will increase the survivability of laminated glass windows under blast loadings.