Dynamic response of curved laminated glass panels

Extreme events, such as blasts, pose a severe threat to a building's structural integrity. The building envelope serves as the primary defense against external explosions, with blast hazards continuing to pose a significant threat to occupant safety. To address such challenges, the development of blast-resistant materials and structures remains a critical area of research and innovation. Laminated glass (LG) plays a crucial role in enhancing the blast resistance of structures. It consists of multiple layers of glass bonded with a polymeric interlayer, which effectively holds glass fragments together and prevents hazardous spall during blast loading. While significant research has focused on the dynamic response of flat laminated glass panels, there is a notable gap in understanding the dynamic behavior of curved laminated glass (CLG) panels, particularly under blast loads. This dissertation investigates the dynamic response of CLG windows, which are critical in applications where safety against blast loads is paramount. The primary goal of this research is to bridge the knowledge gap by comprehensively studying the nonlinear deformation and failure mechanisms of CLG windows under various blast load conditions. This study involves performing quasistatic tests on full-scale CLG panels using a water chamber to simulate the static load conditions, coupled with dynamic tests using a shock tube to replicate blast load scenarios. These experiments aim to assess the resistance and identify the predominant failure modes of CLG panels under diverse loading conditions, providing critical data on the behavior of these panels when subjected to real-world blast impacts. An advanced numerical model will be developed using ANSYS AUTODYN to predict the dynamic response of CLG panels. This model will be validated against the experimental results to ensure its accuracy in simulating the deformation, damage, and failure mechanisms of CLG windows subjected to blast loads. The validated model will serve as a robust tool for further studies and design optimizations. Utilizing the validated numerical model, this research will conduct an extensive parametric study to explore the influence of key design parameters on the performance of CLG windows under dynamic conditions. This study will evaluate factors such as the degree of curvature, type of glass and interlayer, and thickness of glass and interlayers, multi-layer CLG, asymmetric LG, layup configurations, and layup orientations, which are critical in optimizing the design and enhancing the performance of CLG panels. The findings from this comprehensive study are expected to significantly advance our understanding of the nonlinear deformation and failure modes of CLG panels. This will contribute to the development of improved design guidelines and standards for the use of curved laminated glass in structures that are subjected to dynamic loads, thereby enhancing their safety and resilience. This dissertation aims not only to fill the existing research gap but also to pave the way for future innovations in the field of blast-resistant architectural design.