Parametric study of laminated glass window response to blast loads

In this study, numerical simulations are performed to construct the pressure-impulse (P-I) diagrams for PVB laminated float glass windows to provide correlations between dynamic responses of laminated glass window and blast loadings. Numerical model of laminated glass window response to blast loads is developed using LS-DYNA. Dynamic material properties of both the PVB and float glass are considered. The accuracy of the model to simulate laminated glass window response to blast loads is verified by comparing the numerical results with field blast test results available in the literature. Dynamic response of laminated glass with different window parameters are then calculated using the developed numerical model. The failure of interlayer laminate is used to define the total failure of glazing windows. Parametric studies are performed to examine the influence of window dimension, interlayer thickness, glass thickness, and boundary conditions on the P-I diagrams. The empirical formulae are derived based on numerical results to predict the impulse and pressure asymptote of P-I diagrams. These empirical formulae can be straightforwardly used to construct P-I diagrams for assessment of blast loading resistance capacities of laminated glass windows. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.