The low velocity impact behaviour of glass-polymer laminated plates

Thin glass plates when impacted with by projectiles travelling at velocities up to 100 ms(-1) may fracture as a consequence of front face contact or back face bending stresses. The relative magnitude of these stresses is dependent upon plate thickness. The design of composite laminate plates, which may incorporate front, rear or interply layers of polymeric material, is based on a need to reduce both the impact and bending stresses. The incorporation of toughened hardened and surface treated glass plates also increases the effective toughness of the laminate.