Experimental testing of structural arrangement on window response to long-duration blast

In an explosion, window failure can occur at large standoff distances resulting in a significant hazard radius. Up to 80% of injuries in an urban blast are estimated to be caused by glass failure and subsequent fragmentation. Annealed glass, found in many older buildings, shatters instantly into angular shards lacerating the skin on impact and causing significant injury. Large explosions produce long-duration blast environments in the far-field. These events are high-energy and produce impulses which can cause window failure several kilometres away from the detonation. Data from long-duration blasts indicate window failure is highly dependent on glazing aspect ratio, area and other structural support parameters. In this paper, influence of glazing aspect ratio, support conditions, material strength and the blast environment on window failure was experimentally investigated. Twenty full-scale experiments quantified parameter influence on glazing response to long-duration blast. Importantly, experimental repeats exhibited notable data spread demonstrating that glazing response should be quantified primarily by probability of failure and not deterministic methods characteristic of current custom and practice. Repeat reference data sets are of considerable scientific value to both practitioners and researchers particularly in this difficult field of engineering where access to suitable test facilities remain limited.