Numerical study on the blast response of glass windows with anti-shatter safety film
The current report presents a study on the resistance of windows with Anti-Shatter Films (ASFs) against explosive loading. Common monolithic glass panels are known for their vulnerability to blast, representing a serious threat to the occupants’ safety. The evolving terrorism threat, particularly the increased use of explosives carried by unmanned aerial systems (UAS) put an emphasis on appropriate window protection. This calls for a specific focus on blast load scenarios against glass facades in the near-field domain.
Due to scarcity of experimental data, the study is essentially based on numerical simulations. After validating numerical models with available experimental data, an extensive sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the effects of various ASF characteristics on window’s performance when facing near-field blast loads.
Initially, the effects of the ASF properties under standard far-field blast load conditions (100kg of TNT equivalent at 40m) are assessed. These conditions are representative of vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED) threats. The analysis shows a significant sensitivity of the performance of the ASF to its thickness and its material properties, as well as to the presence of an anchorage system. Consequently, when installing an ASF film as a retrofitting measure to reinforce a window against potential blast loads, the film’s thickness and properties need to be carefully selected to respond to the desired safety requirements. It is also necessary to consider the change of material properties over time, since ageing can negatively affect the performance of an ASF.
Additionally, focusing on a drone-related threat scenario, two near-field blast conditions are analysed, with the explosive-to-window distance set to 1m and 2m. The study shows that a window with an ASF could resist to an explosive charge almost twice as big compared to a simple monolithic glass panel window.
To broaden study conclusions, further analyses should be conducted, focussing on variating window geometry, selecting alternative frame designs and testing a wider range of blast loads.
BEDON Chiara;
MARKOVIC Damijan;
SCHUMACHER Ralf;
KARLOS Vasileios;
LARCHER Martin;
OOMS Marco;
2025-11-12
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC143224
978-92-68-33068-5 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 40510,
OP KJ-01-25-541-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC143224,
10.2760/7040200 (online),
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