Soda-Lime Glass Constitutive Parameters and Finite Element Model for Simulating Ballistic Impact

Ballistic models of soda-lime glass can aid in the development and optimization of transparent armour systems. However, existing computational models rely on calibrated material parameters that may not adequately describe the target material damage and failure over a range of impact severities. Damage quantification is critical in predicting the response for multiple impact events and has not been addressed by existing methodologies and material parameters. In this study, a finite element model of soda-lime glass was developed for ballistic impact applications and assessed using a set of steel sphere impact experiments on glass tiles across a range of impact velocities (100–800 m/s), including perforating and non-perforating impact events, with quantification of material damage from high-speed imaging. Improved constitutive model parameters were proposed using additional experimental test data from the literature. The resulting material parameters were assessed using the projectile kinematics and glass damage propagation measured from the steel sphere on glass impact experiments. Residual velocities of the projectile and measured damage in the experiments and simulations were in good agreement, including the predicted transition from non-perforation to perforation. In contrast, previously published material properties for soda-lime glass resulted in a significant under prediction of material damage. The proposed model and material parameters significantly improved the prediction of damage propagation and extent in glass for single impact events while also predicting projectile kinematics with good accuracy, and can be extended in the future to consider multiple impact events needed for the development of protective armour systems.