Modeling of stone-impact resistance of monolithic glass ply using continuum damage mechanics

The stone-impact resistance of a monolithic glass ply is studied using a combined experimental and computational approach. Instrumented stone-impact tests are first carried out in a controlled environment. Explicit finite element analyses are then used to simulate the interactions of the indentor and the glass layer during the impact event, and a continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model is used to describe the constitutive behavior of glass. The experimentally measured strain histories for low-velocity impact serves as validation of the modeling procedures. Next, stair-stepping impact experiments are performed with two indenter sizes on two glass ply thicknesses, and the test results are used to calibrate the critical stress parameters used in the CDM constitutive model. The purpose of this study is to establish the modeling procedures and the CDM critical stress parameters under impact loading conditions. The modeling procedures and the CDM model will be used in our future studies to predict through-thickness damage evolution patterns for different laminated windshield designs in automotive applications.