Failure Analysis of Laminated Architectural Glass Panels Subjected to Blast Loading

A 3-D nonlinear finite element model is used to predict the probability of failure of laminated architectural glass subjected to blast loading. A uniformly distributed pressure, simulating blast loading generated by a shock wave from the discharge of a bomb, is applied to one of the exposed surfaces of the laminate. In the analysis, the glass ply is modeled as an elastic material while the polymer interlayer is treated as a viscoelastic material. Two-parameter Weibull distribution is adopted to describe the cumulative probability of failure of the unloaded glass ply. A parametric study is presented showing the effect geometric and material properties of the laminate and the blast load parameters. These analytical results can be used in evaluating the blast performance of new laminated architectural glazing systems and in the design of retrofit or upgrade schemes for the existing glazing systems