An experimental study on thermoplastic interlayers in laminated glass using fiber optic strain sensors

Abstract

The method of fiber optic strain measurement based on Rayleigh signal analysis enables the detection of the deformation behaviour of glass laminates for the purpose of modelling its load-bearing characteristics. With distributed fiber optic sensors, which consist of a diameter of 0.16 mm, it is possible to determine strain patterns on both glass surfaces and its interlayers. The sensors used in tensile and bending tests on monolithic as well as laminated glass supplement the deformation measurements taken with strain gauges and inductive displacement sensors. The study describes the results of the principal applicability of fiber optic strain sensors to evaluate the structural behaviour of laminated glass and provides the basis to define a model for the material characteristics of viscoelastic interlayers.