Session: 04-14-02: Modeling and Experiments of Materials Subject to Ballistic, Blast, and High-Strain-Rate Events

Paper Number: 144976

144976 - Strain Rate Material Response of Laminated Glass Interlayer Polymers 

Urban areas have seen an increase in terrorist attacks, highlighting the need for enhanced building safety, particularly in facade design. Storms and explosions pose significant threats to structures, especially their exterior envelopes. Laminated glass (LG) is the preferred glazing material for safety, consisting of multiple glass layers with a polymer interlayer like SentryGlas (SG) or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). In the event of failure, the glass fragments adhere to the interlayer, maintaining the safety of occupants [1], [2]. LG provides significant safety benefits by retaining most shattered glass after breakage, preventing glass-related injuries. The interlayer material's energy absorption capability allows LG windows to remain intact after a blast event. Laminated glass panels are increasingly used to enhance blast and ballistic resistance of building window systems. However, the understanding of glass fragments and their interaction with the interlayer is still incomplete. This paper investigates experimentally the quasistatic and high strain rate responses of cured and uncured polymers tested between 21 and 32 degrees C. In these experiments, the responses of PVB, EVA, TPU, and SG were evaluated under strain rates of 0.033, 2, and 20 to 50 1/s. The material response was significantly impacted by the strain rate and the behavior, in some cases went from viscoelastic characteristics to a combined linear elastic to non-elastic response. These strain-rate dependant material properties are expected to improve analytical and numerical prediction models of lamianted glass panels under dynamic loads. The tests provided ample information for evaluating alternative approaches to modeling these different materials in blast loading.

Presenting Author: Hesham Elemam University of Missouri-Columbia

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Elemam is an assistant research professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering. His research focus is in the area of dynamic material characterization and blast response modeling and design. Currently, he is focused on the experimental evaluation and numerical simulation of full-scale laminated glass windows and curtain wall systems under blast loading.

Authors:

Hesham Elemam University of Missouri-Columbia
Ahmed Elkilani University of Missouri-Columbia
Ahmed Elbelbisi University of Missouri-Columbia
Alaa Elsisi Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Andrew Bowman U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center
Hani Salim University of Missouri-Columbia