Stresses in Laminated Glass Subject to Low Velocity Impact

Finite element analysis is used to study small, low velocity missile impact of laminated architectural glass. The impact situation models that commonly observed during severe windstorms in which small, hard missiles impact laminated glass windows in large buildings. Architectural laminated glass is typically made of two soda-lime glass plies separated by a clear, sticky, polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer. In order to increase the damage tolerance of laminated glass windows, various geometric and material parameters are investigated to determine their effect in minimizing stress wave propagation through the three-layer system to the critical inside ply. Parameters investigated include the thickness of each layer of the system and the viscoelastic properties of the PVB interlayer. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd