Threat resistant sandwich walled structural system

In this study, we experimentally and analytically investigated time-dependent deformation of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic sandwich panels with three kinds of polymer foam-core ROHACELL, with the deformation caused by moisture absorption. Tensile tests for the ROHACELLs before and after moisture absorption were performed using the digital image correlation method, and we obtained a stress–strain relationship for each condition. Surface deformations of sandwich panels were calculated using finite element analyses to examine the elasto-plastic deformation of the ROHACELLs based on the tensile test results. Experimentally measured deformation in the sandwich panels varied depending on the cell size of cores, and the largest measured deformation after the moisture absorption was approximately 100 μm. This was much larger than the analytical result. On the basis of this study, we suggest that the main reason for the deformation may be an irreversible shrinkage of the ROHACELLs caused the absorption of moisture during exposure to high-temperature and high-humidity environments.

6 - Fire behaviour of sandwich panels

High-velocity impact behaviour of aluminium honeycomb sandwich panels with different structural configurations

The Sandwich Panel Technologies including Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) can be used to replace the conventional wooden-frame construction method. The main purpose of this Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between UT-Battelle, LLC and SGI Venture, Inc. was to design a novel high R-value type of metal sandwich panelized technology. This CRADA project report presents design concept discussion and numerical analysis results from thermal performance study of this new building envelope system. The main objective of this work was to develop a basic concept of a new generation of wall panel technologies which will have R-value over R-20 will use thermal mass to improve energy performance in cooling dominated climates and will be 100% termite resistant. The main advantages of using sandwich panels are as follows: (1) better energy saving structural panels with high and uniform overall wall R-value across the elevation that could not be achieved in traditional walls; and (2) reducing the use of raw materials or need for virgin lumber. For better utilization of these Sandwich panels, engineers need to have a thorough understanding of the actual performance of the panels and system. Detailed analysis and study on the capacities and deformation of individual panels and its assembly have to be performed to achieve that goal. The major project activity was to conduct structural analysis of the stresses, strains, load capacities, and deformations of individual sandwich components under various load cases. The analysis simulated the actual loading conditions of the regular residential building and used actual material properties of the steel facings and foam.

Sandwich panels composed of different core materials with plywood facings were analyzed using experimental and numerical methods. Particleboard (PB), fiberboard (MDF), and foam materials were used as the core of the sandwich, while beech plywood was laid as the only face material. The layers of the sandwich were adhered with polyurethane adhesive. Elasticities (E) of PB, MDF, and plywood were determined in the laboratory. The E value specified by the manufacturer for the foam was used to determine the flexural behavior of sandwich panels. Results of the study indicated that the type of core material significantly affects the bending behavior of sandwich panels with plywood facings. Sandwich panels with MDF-core were observed to be more resistant in bending compared to PB and foam-core sandwich panels. Core shear failure was the dominant failure type when wood-based materials were used as core material. Buckling or tension in facing was observed when foam was used as core material. The results of the study demonstrate that numerical models can be used to accurately predict the bending behavior of the sandwich panels until failure based on yield stress and tangent modulus of the materials.

This paper presents the studies carried out on bending and free vibration behavior of truss core sandwich panel filled with foam typically used in aerospace applications. Equivalent stiffness properties for foam-filled truss core sandwich panel are derived by idealizing 3D foam-filled sandwich panel to an equivalent 2D orthotropic thick plate continuum. The accuracy of the derived elastic property is ensured by the numerical comparison of free vibration response of 3D and its equivalent 2D finite element model. The derived stiffness constants were used in closed form solution to evaluate the maximum deflection of the continuum. The results show that the free vibration and static behavior of the sandwich panel can be enhanced in due consideration to the space constraint by filling foam in the empty space of core. The results also reveal that triangular core foam-filled sandwich panel deflects less compared to other cores. From the free vibration analysis, effect of filling foam is effective in cellular and trapezoidal core.

This paper presents investigations on the load‐bearing behaviour of sandwich panels under bending load and axial load. The sandwich panels investigated here have the special feature that they consist of two face sheets, a polyurethane core and two integrated reinforcement profiles. These integrated profiles allow the stiffness of the panels to be significantly increased, resulting in a delayed wrinkling failure and thus opening up new fields of application. Experimental results from bending tests are presented. From these results, analytical approaches are then described that can be used to predict the load‐bearing behaviour under axial loading. In addition, the test setup is described, which will be used in the future for the experimental investigation of the panels under axially loading.

Sandwich panels manufactured using thermoplastic fiber-metal laminates (FML) skins and an aluminum foam core were tested under quasi-static and low-velocity impact loading conditions. The quasi-static properties of the sandwich beams were evaluated using the three-point bend test geometry. Energy absorbing mechanisms such as buckling and interfacial delamination in the FML skin, as well as indentation, crushing, and densification in the aluminum foam have been observed to contribute to the excellent energy absorbing characteristics offered by these systems. The low-velocity impact behavior of the sandwich panels was evaluated using an instrumented dropping weight impact tower and modeled using an energy balance approach. A breakdown of the energy absorption revealed that these sandwich structures absorb much of the impact energy due to contact and bending effects. Finally, four-point bend testing after low-velocity impact revealed that these systems offer excellent residual flexural strength with relative values remaining close to 80% of the original strength after a 32 J impact.

A refined model for bending of a three-layered panel with a soft filler is proposed. The modified model permits us to consider the asymmetry of elastic properties and thickness of the outer layer relative to the middle plane of the panel in a composite sandwich structure. In constructing the deformation mechanism, a heterogeneous kinematic model was adopted, which, in contrast to the assumptions for the deformation of the whole stack of layers, features four degrees of displacement freedom permitting consideration of the separate nature of the deformation of the outer layers in bending and of the intermediate layer in transverse compression combined with shear. This approach is postulated according to an energetic evaluation of the deformation of the layers [2]. The specific features of the stress from point forces in cylindrical bending are considered using the operational Laplace method, which avoids the additional difficulties in analyzing the solution convergence arising when it is represented by a series of eigenfunctions of the boundary value problem. The fundamental functions of a twelfth-order set of equations are used to construct the boundary problem reduced to a Cauchy problem. Various boundary effects of the point stress are described using a generalized Dirac function. Variants are examined for the limiting transformation of the model parameters leading to a qualitative change in its kinematics and the corresponding simplified bending models.

This is a series of two papers in which the nonlinear stability behavior of sandwich panels is investigated. This part presents the buckling behavior and focuses on the critical load and the buckling mode. The buckling analysis is based on the extended high-order sandwich panel theory (EHSAPT) which takes transverse compressibility and axial rigidity of the core into account. It allows for the interaction between the faces and the core. The geometric nonlinearity, i.e., large displacement with moderate rotation, is considered in both faces and core. The weak form governing equations are derived based on the EHSAPT-based element. Detailed formulations and analysis procedures are provided. It presents a general approach for arbitrary buckling type without decoupling it into isolated global buckling and wrinkling. There are no additional assumptions made about the prebuckling state and buckling mode shape, which are commonly presumed in the literature. In addition, edge effects which are also commonly neglected are included. The prebuckling state is determined via a nonlinear static analysis. Solving an eigenvalue problem yields the critical load and the corresponding eigenvector gives the buckling mode. Sandwich panels with different lengths are studied as examples. Both global buckling and wrinkling are observed. It shows that the axial rigidity of the core has a pronounced effect on both the critical load and the buckling mode.

Blast resistance of water-backed metallic sandwich panels subjected to underwater explosion

The use of polymeric and metallic foam sandwich panels in naval, aerospace, railway and automotive constructions is rapidly growing in the recent years because of technological improvements in manufacturing processes. However, it is still difficult to establish a direct relationship between the mechanical properties possessed by the panel and the specific manufacturing process. Mechanisms behind panel deformation, crack growth, fracture initiation and propagation still are not completely understood and therefore are intensively studied. In particular, structural behavior under compression is a critical issue also in view of the lack of official standards on foam core sandwich panels. This work aims at studying mechanical properties of high density polyethylene foam core sandwich panels produced by rotational molding. These panels can be built without using adhesives as the polyethylene foam grows inside mold and then adheres to facesheets while material still is at high temperature. In the present study, polyethylene foam panels of different thickness are tested under edgewise compression loading. The resulting out-of-plane deformation is then monitored in detail with a projection moire setup including two projectors and one camera.

Structural behavior of sandwich panels with asymmetrical boundary conditions

The main purpose of this work is to study the bending behavior and deformation mechanisms of sandwich panels with AlSi7-alloy foam cores obtained by the powder metallurgy method. For this purpose, quasi-static three-point bending tests were performed on samples of AlSi7-alloy foam sandwich panels at different cross-head displacement rates: 1, 10, 20, 40 and 80 [mm/min]. Load-deflection values were registered during the bending test and further transformed into bending moment–rotation data. Obtained results show that different failure collapse modes can be obtained for samples with identical nominal dimensions, depending on the cross-head displacement rate.

7 - Fire behavior of sandwich panels with different cores