Numerical analysis of mixed-mode I+II fracture behavior of automotive PVB laminated glass using a novel beam-type test specimen

Laminated glass is a composite structure consisting of a polymeric interlayer (e.g., polyvinyl butyral PVB) sandwiched between two glass plies. Due to the increasing use of laminated glass (LG) in advanced industries such as automotive sectors, it is of much importance to investigate the fracture behavior of such structures. One of the most critical steps in outlining the fracture behavior of laminated glass is the accurate determination of the fracture energy of the interlayer, usually, polyvinyl butyral (PVB), which is obtained from experimental methods. So far, various laboratory samples have been presented to measure the fracture energy of laminated glass, each of which has its advantages and limitations. In this paper, a new loading setup is proposed for the determination of mixed-mode I/II fracture energy in a rectangular-shape laboratory sample of laminated glass. The loading setup consists of a rectangular beam under a four-point bending which has been analyzed by the commercial ABAQUS software package. By utilizing this specimen, the fracture energy of the combined modes from pure mode I to pure mode II in the PVB interlayer can be measured. The proposed geometry here is simpler than other available geometries in the literature and also it does not require a complex loading mechanism. The effects of crack length ratio and also the support distance on fracture parameters such as and are well investigated.