Quantifying the Influence of Aspect Ratio on Window Failure when Subject to Long-duration Blast Loading

Abstract

Windows differ vastly in size and shape, even for a single building. Analysis of post-explosion photographs shows that aspect ratio can have a significant effect on the survival of a window. While new constructions use laminated glass to mitigate damage, many older buildings still contain more fragile annealed glass. In the United Kingdom, 4mm-thick annealed glass represents the minimum specification for windows and therefore the worst damage case. This paper reports on the effect of window aspect ratio on the failure characteristics of annealed glass subjected to long-duration planar blast waves. Long-duration blasts are typically defined by a positive phase duration greater than 100ms, observed in the far field of large explosions which produce large impulses. The air blast tunnel (ABT) at MOD Shoeburyness is a unique testing facility capable of simulating pressure regimes observed in long-duration blast events. In a series of eight full-scale trials in the ABT, sixteen 4mm-thick annealed glass windows were examined. Four different aspect ratios, from 1:1 to 1:2, were considered. High-speed photography captured glass response while fibre-optic controlled instrumentation recorded full incident and reflected pressure histories. Results from the experimental study demonstrate that aspect ratio significantly influences the break time and crack propagation in glass panels.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Sarah Monk: orcid.org/0000-0002-0407-1493

ORCID for Simon Clubley: orcid.org/0000-0003-3779-242X

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