Mechanical response of cracked laminated plates

Laminated glass plates are used in several safety, security and transportation applications to enhance their structural integrity. The mechanical behavior of laminates after glass-fracture, for example energy absorbing capacity and residual stiffness, determines their utility. However, the combined influence of glass fragmentation, large deformations and interfacial decohesion has been difficult to assemble in models capable of directing mechanical design. This study provides a framework for such analyses. The cracked plate is modeled as a collection of stiff glass fragments connected by elastomeric bridging ligaments. The behavior of the elastomer layer is represented by an analytical bridging model, validated and calibrated through experiments. For simple regular crack patterns, an analytical model has been developed to study the post-cracking response of laminated glass plates. This model predicts the compliant behavior of a cracked laminated plate as a function of the adhesive strength, thickness and elastic properties of the elastomer layer, and the number of fragments and the size of the plate. Based on the bridging behavior of the elastomeric ligament, an interface/bridging finite element has been formulated for numerical simulations of cracked laminates. Mechanical behavior of cracked laminates has been studied through model experiments and excellent agreement between experiments and theory is observed.