Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 January 2011
This paper proposes an evaluation method for the surface fracture behavior of coated glass or ceramic plates subjected to an impact with a small particle. The increase of the maximum stress and absorbed fracture energy measured from the back surface indicated the extent of the surface fracture that occurred in the simple soda lime glass and composite-lamina attached glass plates tested in a range of particle velocities up to 119 m/s. Impact surface-fracture indices expressed in terms of the maximum stress and absorbed energy are suggested as an effective evaluation parameter.