LABORATORY SIMULATION OF IMPACT LOADING ON LAMINATED GLASS FOR ICE HOCKEY ARENAS

Abstract

Laminated tempered glass sheets were tested under impact loading to simulate conditions in ice hockey arenas, where pucks hit the glass shields at high velocities. Thirty-six tests have been conducted on 1220x460mm sheets of glass, 9.5, 12.7 and 15.9 mm thick, using falling weights attached to an actual puck. Twenty-four of the specimens were laminated on one side using 0.36 mm thick polyester transparent laminates. The weights and drop heights were increased gradually until failure occurred. The kinetic energy, equivalent puck field velocities, equivalent static failure loads and stresses have been estimated. The estimated field velocities of the pucks at failure were all higher than the maximum recorded in the game. The study showed that lamination has significantly changed failure mode of glass from a catastrophic failure, where fragments shatter, potentially causing serious injuries, to one which is still brittle yet substantially safer as fractured glass remains fully intact. No rupture or delamination of the laminates was observed.