Laminated glass units used for glazing buildings consist of two thin g
lass plates bonded together by a thin core material, called polyvinyl
butyral (PVB). As the plates are usually thin and undergo large latera
l displacements, the conventional thin plate theory cannot be applied;
instead, a nonlinear theory of plates has to be employed. As well, th
e interlayer, though soft in material properties, provides significant
change in the overall behavior of the composite. Variational calculus
and minimum potential energy theorem are employed to obtain the five
nonlinear differential equations with appropriate boundary conditions;
these equations are solved numerically with iteration. Experiments we
re conducted at the Glass Research and Testing Laboratory at Texas Tec
h University, Lubbock, Texas, to validate the mathematical model. Lami
nated glass units 1.524 m x 1.524 m (60 in. x 60 in.) in size with two
glass plates each 4.763 mm (0,1875 in.) thick with a PVB of thickness
equal to 1.52 mm (0.06 in.) were tested up to a lateral pressure of 6
.895 kPa (1 psi). Lateral displacements and strains at four different
locations at the top and bottom of the units were measured. The experi
mental results are compared with those from the mathematical model and
presented in this paper.