Dynamic response of glass panels subjected to shock loading

A controlled study has been performed to understand fracture and damage in glass panels subjected to air blast. A shock tube apparatus has been utilized to obtain the controlled blast loading. Five different panels, namely plain glass, sandwiched glass, wired glass, tempered glass and sandwiched glass with film on both the faces are used in the experiments. Fully clamped boundary conditions are applied to replicate the actual loading conditions in windows. Real-time measurements of the pressure pulses affecting the panels are recorded. A post-mortem study of the specimens was also performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the materials to withstand these shock loads. The real time full-field in-plane strain and out-of-plane deformation data on the back face of the glass panel is obtained using 3D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique. The experimental results show that the sandwich glass with two layers of glass joined with a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer and protective film on both the front and back faces maintains structural integrity and outperforms the other four types of glass tested.

► Five different glass panels were shock loaded using a shock tube.
► 3D-DIC analysis is used to obtain the out-of-plane deflection and in-plane strain.
► Application of protective film improves the blast response of sandwich glass panel.
► Laminated panel is able to withhold shattered pieces and prevents injuries to human.