Development and Manufacturing of Highly Damage Resistant Fiber Glass Reinforced Window Panels for Buildings in Hurricane Prone Areas

本项目试图开发和制造一种新型的玻璃纤维增强透明夹层玻璃窗，以减轻玻璃板在风暴中的破碎。 拟议的玻璃面板将由外部玻璃层、玻璃纤维增强塑料（聚酯）层和内部玻璃层组成。 随后，将在模拟风暴条件下对增强板进行广泛的测试和断裂分析，目标是获得最大的韧性和优化的玻璃复合板，这种玻璃复合板比目前的板具有高度的抗破坏性，重量更轻，价格更便宜。 该研究还将集中在界面性能的变化，如层间粘附力和界面断裂韧性的影响。 玻璃和聚酯基体之间的界面性能将进行研究，通过使用界面力显微镜（IFM），能够进行纳米力学测量和成像的扫描力显微镜进行纤维拔出和纳米硬度测试。 将建立各向同性-各向异性双材料界面裂纹的应力场方程。 将这些应力场方程与正交各向异性应力光学定律相结合，分析了复合型载荷下界面裂纹尖端的等色线条纹图，从而确定了应力强度因子。 从这一努力中产生的知识和经验将有助于今后开发基于不同复合系统的其他类似类型的面板。 参与生产民用基础设施和运输系统先进材料的其他机构也可以受益。 实验和分析方法的成功实施以及拟议产品（复合玻璃面板）的制造将对多个行业和企业产生持久影响，并有助于复合材料知识和科学的进步。 与圣刘易斯的一个工业伙伴建立了合作关系，以促进玻璃强化板的制造和利用。

This project attempts to develop and manufacture a new fiber-glass reinforced transparent laminated glass window to alleviate the breakage of glass panels during windstorms. The proposed glass panel will consist of an outer glass ply; a fiber glass reinforced plastic (polyester) ply, and an inner glass ply. Subsequently the reinforced panels will be subjected to extensive testing and fracture analysis under simulated windstorm conditions.The goal is to obtain maximum toughness and an optimized glass composite panel, which is highly damage resistant, lighter and cheaper than the present panels. The study will also focus on the effect of the variations in the interface properties such as adhesion between layers and the interface fracture toughness. Interfacial properties between glass and polyester matrix will be studied by carrying out fiber pull-out and nanohardness tests using an Interfacial Force Microscope (IFM), a scanning force microscope capable of performing nanomechanical measurements and imaging. Stress field equations will be developed for a crack in the istropic-anistropic bimaterial interface. These stress field equations will be combined with the orthotropic stress optic law to analyze the isochromatic fringe patterns around an interface crack tip under mixed mode loading to determine the stress intensity factors. The body of knowledge generated and experience gained from this effort will be useful in developing other similar types of panels based on different composite systems in future. Also other agencies involved in producing advanced materials for civil infrastructure and transport systems can benefit. The successful implementation of the experimental and analytical approaches and fabrication of the proposed product (the composite-glass panel), will have a lasting effect on several industries and businesses, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge and science of composite materials. Collaboration with an industrial partner in Saint Louis has been established to facilitate the manufacturing and utilization of the glass reinforced panels.