Testing and FEA Analysis of a Cable Supported Polycarbonate Shield System to Protect against Glazing Hazards

The intent of this paper is to describe a test program conducted at the ABSG Consulting, Inc. (ABS Consulting) shock tube research facility in San Antonio, Texas, where cable supported polycarbonate shield systems where tested to determine their viability as a curtain wall retrofit option. A total of five tests, using three different window systems, were tested to assess the capacity of each shield retrofit installed on the interior of an existing glazing panel. As a complement to the testing, high-fidelity numerical modeling was performed using the explicit finite element code LS-DYNA. The computational models were developed initially to establish the expected performance of the design. Additional testing was performed once the mechanism of failure was understood. Subsequent modeling was used to calibrate the tested system. The test program indicated a viable curtain wall retrofit system using a cable-polycarbonate shield. Information related to the test setup and observations from the program will be described. Details related to the modeling including material definitions, element formulations, boundary conditions, applied loading, and response predictions will be included. Finally, a comparison will be provided that illustrates the validity of numerical models with respect to the testing.