Testing translucent structures for shock wave resistance: analysis of international standards and prospects for their application in Ukraine

The article analyzes the existing normative documents regulating requirements to explosion-resistant glazing systems and testing methods, including national standards of Ukraine, countries of EU and USA, international standards and standards of voluntary certification of the associations of the manufacturers of glazing systems. In recent years the civil infrastructure in Ukraine was harmed extensively due to warfare, including consequences of blast waves. One of the most grievous types of consequences are traumas caused by splinters of broken glass to humans. Consequently the importance of explosion resistant enclosing structures and minimization of consequences increases. The present day market proposes numerous solutions for improvement of explosion resistance values, including so called “protection films”. However most of them haven’t undergone any serious tests and certification. Two principal methods of practical testing are proposed in standards, such as shock tube and field tests with observed explosions. Both have their specific advantages and drawbacks. Tests in shock tubes have advantages of better controlled environment, safety and lower cost, on other hand they are limited in realism and cannot be scaled us as the tested samples are limited with size of the tube intersection. Filed tests are more expensive, harder to control and predict results and need to be additionally controlled for safety, but provide the advantage as being more realistic and can represent more diverse aspect of explosion resistance of tested structures. Most existing standards consider scenarios of terrorist attacks such as portable improvised explosive devices and sometimes vehicle based improvised explosive devices being used, however experience of recent years in Ukraine displays more diverse types of hazards, so testing should not be limited only to existing classes of resistance. The article proposes development of regulations in Ukraine through implementation of certain international standards.