Dynamic mechanical behavior and pedestrian safety characteristics of toughened laminated windshield

Abstract

The windshield is one of the important components of a vehicle for pedestrian protection. Thin chemically toughened glass (TG) is regarded as a promising substitute for soda–lime glass in traditional soda–lime laminated glass (SLG). The mechanical behavior of TG and toughened laminated glass (TLG) is experimentally studied. Finite element models based on experiment results are established and validated. The pedestrian protection characteristics of the TLG windshield are numerically investigated and compared with its counterpart, the SLG windshield. A significant decrease in head injury criteria in the TLG windshield compared with the SLG windshield is observed with the significant weight reduction of the TLG windshield. Finally, parametric studies on the effect of impact velocity, location, and angle are conducted. Results show the reasonable pedestrian protection capability of the TLG windshield, and they provide useful design tools and practical evaluation guidance for safe and light laminated windshields.