Spring-block approach for crack patterns in glass

Fracture patterns resulting from point-like impact acting perpendicularly on the plane of a commercial sodalime glass plate is modelled by a spring-block system. The characteristic patterns consist of crack lines that are spreading radially from the impact point and concentric arcs intersecting these radial lines. Experimental results suggest that the number of radial crack lines is scaling linearly with the energy dissipated during the crack formation process. The elaborated spring-block model reproduces with success the observed fracture patterns and scaling law.