Experimental study on fatigue failure and damage of sandwich structure with PMI foam core

Sandwich structures consisting of aluminium skin sheets and polymethacrylimide foam core have been gradually used in the high‐speed trains. The static mechanical properties and fatigue damage of the sandwich structures with polymethacrylimide foam core were experimented in three‐point bending and were discussed. The failure mode is identified as local indentation. The static strength was obtained, and it showed good consistency with the forecasting formula. The fatigue property and damage evolution were also researched under cyclic loading. The fatigue life curve and the fitting formula were submitted. The fatigue damage evolution started from the skin sheet fracture and then the foam core indentation. The displacement at the midpoint as the damage parameter was discussed, and the evolution prediction formula was submitted, which showed great agreement with the experimental results.     

Analysis of Fatigue Damage under Block Loading in a Low Carbon Steel

Abstract: The fatigue damage accumulation behaviour of the P355NL1 steel is characterised using block loading fatigue tests. First, the constant amplitude low‐cycle fatigue behaviour of the P355NL1 steel is evaluated through strain‐controlled fatigue tests of smooth specimens. Both fatigue and cyclic elastoplastic behaviours are analysed. Then, block loading is applied to identify the key features of the fatigue damage accumulation phenomena for the P355NL1 steel. The block loading is composed of two distinct low‐cycle constant amplitude strain‐controlled blocks. The first block is applied for a predefined number of loading cycles, being followed by a second block which is applied until failure. The block loading illustrates that fatigue damage evolves nonlinearly with the number of load cycles as a function of the strain amplitude. These observations suggest a nonlinear damage accumulation rule with load sequence effects. The linear Palmgren–Miner's rule used extensively in design is not verified for the P355NL1 steel. Finally, using the generated experimental data, the cyclic elastoplastic behaviour of the P355NL1 steel is modelled using a continuum plasticity model with nonlinear kinematic hardening, available in the commercial finite element code ansys ®.     

Behaviour of RC beams strengthened by partial jacketing under cyclic loading

This work presents a study on the behaviour under cyclic loading of reinforced concrete beams strengthened in bending by the addition of concrete and steel on their tension side using expansion bolts as shear connectors, denominated here as partial jacketing. The experimental program included tests on six full scale reinforced concrete beams, simply supported, with rectangular cross section 150 mm wide and 400 mm high, span of 4,000 mm and total length of 4,500 mm. All the beams, after receiving two cycles of static loading in order to create a pre-cracking condition, were strengthened in bending by partial jacketing and then subjected to cyclic loading until the completion of 2 × 10⁶ cycles or the occurrence of fatigue failure. Following the cyclic loading, the beams that did not fail by fatigue were subjected to a static load up to failure. The main variables were the flexural reinforcement ratio in the beam and in the jacket, the beam–jacket interface condition (smooth or rough) and cyclic load amplitude. On the basis of the obtained test results and the results of previous study of similar beams tested only under static loading, the behaviour of the strengthened beams is discussed and a proposal for their design is given.     

Effect of cyclic hardening on fatigue performance of slide burnished components made of low‐alloy medium carbon steel

The slide burnishing process causes cyclic loading of the surface being treated, which provokes cyclic hardening. Using a forced‐controlled indentation test, the sixth “loading‐unloading” cycle was stabilised. The effect of the number of passes and the cyclic loading coefficient (CLC) on the fatigue performance of slide burnished specimens was investigated. Rotating bending fatigue tests were conducted using nine groups of hourglass shaped specimens, which were slide burnished through a different number of passes and CLC values. A stabilised cycle of the surface layer achieved with six passes, lead to largest fatigue limit, whereas the CLC exerted negligible influence on the fatigue performance. The observed phenomenon was explained through different residual stress relaxation rates, due to the rotating bending load, as well as with the obtained surface layer microstructure. The residual stress relaxation was investigated through rotating bending fatigue tests, using cylindrical fatigue specimens, followed by X‐ray stress analysis.     

Face sheet debonding in CFRP/PMI sandwich structures under quasi-static and fatigue loading considering residual thermal stress

The face sheet debonding behaviour under quasi-static and fatigue loading in sandwich structures consisting of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer face sheets and a Polymethacrylimid foam core is investigated. The sandwich structure is tested under global mode I and global mode II loading using the Single Cantilever Beam test and the Cracked Sandwich Beam test. Because of the different thermal expansion behaviour of the face sheets and the foam core thermal stresses occur already after the manufacturing process. The impact of these temperature loads on the crack propagation behaviour is investigated via evaluating the experiments numerically with Finite Element Analysis and Virtual Crack Closure Technique.     

玻璃纤维增强树脂基复合材料夹芯板-钢板连接接头的弯曲性能

以PVC泡沫或Balsa轻木为芯材的玻璃纤维增强树脂基复合材料（GRP）夹芯板目前广泛应用于船舶与海洋工程结构中。论文设计不同参数的GRP夹芯板-钢板混合接头模型,进行四点弯曲加载下的静力及疲劳试验研究,同时运用ABAQUS软件结合MSC.fatigue软件对接头的静态及疲劳弯曲失效进行数值模拟,分析了接头的弯曲强度、刚度和失效模式,并研究了接头填充区材料及长度、钢板嵌入填充区长度等参数对接头弯曲性能的影响。结果表明：弯曲载荷作用下接头破坏发生在连接结合部,失效模式则因填充区的不同设计而不同;对提高接头的弯曲性能较为明显的设计参数包括将钢板延伸到接头填充区或者选择Balsa轻木替代PVC泡沫芯材;对于受到疲劳弯曲载荷的接头模型,在较大疲劳载荷水平下,所有试件在未达到10⁶次循环时均发生了疲劳破坏;而在相对较小的疲劳载荷水平下,经过10⁶次循环后所有试件全部完好,并且接头的剩余强度与疲劳试验前的静强度相近,表明小载荷水平下接头的疲劳次数对其承载能力无影响。     

Response of thin-skinned sandwich panels to contact loading with flat-ended cylindrical punches: Experiments,numerical simulations and neutron diffraction measurements

The response of aluminium foam-cored sandwich panels to localised contact loading was investigated experimentally and numerically using flat-ended cylindrical punch of four varying sizes. ALPORAS and ALULIGHT closed-cell foams of 15 mm thickness with 0.3 mm thick aluminium face sheets (of 236 MPa yield strength) were used to manufacture the sandwich panels. Face sheet fracturing at the perimeter of the indenter, in addition to foam cells collapse beneath the indenter and tearing of the cell walls at the perimeter of the indenter were the major failure mechanisms of the sandwich panels, irrespective of the strength and density of the underlying foam core. The authors employed a 3D model in ABAQUS/Explicit to evaluate the indentation event, the skin failure of the face sheets and carry out a sensitivity study of the panel's response. Using the foam model of Deshpande and Fleck combined with the forming limit diagram (FLD) of the aluminium face sheet, good quantitative and qualitative correlations between experiments and simulations were achieved. The higher plastic compliance of the ALPORAS led to increased bending of the sheet metal and delayed the onset of sheet necking and failure. ALULIGHT-cored panels exhibited higher load bearing and energy absorption capacity, compared with ALPORAS cores, due to their higher foam and cell densities and higher yield strength of the cell walls. Additionally, they exhibited greater propensity for strain hardening as evidenced by mechanical testing and the neutron diffraction measurements, which demonstrated the development of macroscopically measurable stresses at higher strains. At these conditions the ALULIGHT response upon compaction becomes akin to the response of bulk material with measurable elastic modulus and evident Poisson effect.     

Comparative study on biaxial low-cycle fatigue behaviour of three structural steels

In this study the uniaxial/biaxial low‐cycle fatigue behaviour of three structural steels (Ck45 normalized steel, 42CrMo4 quenched and tempered steel and AISI 303 stainless steel) are studied, evaluated and compared. Two parameters are considered for estimating non‐proportional fatigue lives: the coefficient of additional hardening and the factor of non‐proportionality. A series of tests of uniaxial/biaxial low‐cycle fatigue composed of tension/compression with cyclic torsion were carried out on a biaxial servo‐hydraulic testing machine. Several loading paths were carried out, including proportional and non‐proportional ones, in order to verify the additional hardening caused by different loading paths. The experiments showed that the three materials studied have very different additional hardening behaviour. Generally, the transient process from the initial loading cycle to stabilized loading cycle occurs in a few cycles. The stabilized cyclic stress/strain parameters are controlling parameters for fatigue damage. A factor of non‐proportionality of the loading paths is evaluated based on the Minimum Circumscribed Ellipse approach. It is shown that the microstructure has a great influence on the additional hardening and the hardening effect is dependent on the loading path and also the intensity of the loading.     

Experimental analysis of behavior and damage of sandwich composite materials in three-point bending. Part 2. Fatigue test results and damage mechanisms

The analysis of stiffness degradation and the identification of damage mechanisms during and after fatigue tests of sandwich panels with PVC foam cores have been performed. The sandwich panels with cross-ply laminates skins made of glass fiber and epoxy resin were manufactured by vacuum moulding and subjected to three-point bending tests. Two PVC cores of similar type but with differing densities were investigated. The effect of core density and thickness on the damage behavior was highlighted. Using the cyclic life criterion, fatigue curves were plotted according to two models and compared with those of the literature. It has been demonstrated that the sandwich SD 2, with the higher core density, withstands a higher load and possesses greater rigidity in static tests, combined with an enhanced fatigue resistance, when compared to sandwich SD 1 which has a lower core density. Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 3, pp. 32–44, May–June, 2009.     

Fatigue crack growth at the face sheet-core interface in a discontinuous ceramic-tile cored sandwich structure

The fatigue failure mechanism of a sandwich structure with discontinuous ceramic tile core is characterized. The sandwich structure in consideration comprises ceramic core tiles bonded to composite face sheet with a compliant adhesive layer. The discontinuous nature of the core results in a non-uniform stress field under in-plane loading of the sandwich. Static tensile tests performed on sandwich coupons revealed first damage as debonding at the gaps between adjacent tiles in the core. Tension–tension fatigue tests caused debonding at the gaps followed by initiation of cracks in the adhesive layer between the face sheet and core. Experimental data for crack length versus number of cycles is collected at various load levels. Crack growth rates (da/dN) are determined based on the experimental data acquired. The energy release rate available for crack propagation is computed using an analytical model and finite element analysis. Mode separation performed using the Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) revealed that crack propagation is completely dominated by shear (mode II). Fatigue crack growth behavior for the discontinuous sandwich structure is quantified by correlating the cyclic energy release rate with the rate of crack propagation. The loss of specimen stiffness with crack propagation is quantified using an analytical model.     

Examination of the failure of sandwich beams with core junctions subjected to in-plane tensile loading

The paper concerns local effects occurring in the vicinity of junctions between different cores in sandwich beams subjected to tensile in-plane loading. It is known from analytical and numerical modelling that these effects display themselves by an increase of the bending stresses in the faces as well as the core shear and transverse normal stresses at the junction. The local effects have been studied experimentally to assess the influence on the failure behaviour both under quasi-static and fatigue loading conditions. Typical sandwich beam configurations with aluminium and glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) face sheets and core junctions between polymer foams of different densities and rigid plywood or aluminium were investigated. Depending on the material configuration of the sandwich beam, premature failure accumulating at the core junction was observed for quasi-static and/or fatigue loading conditions. Using Aluminium face sheets, quasi-static loading caused failure at the core junction, whereas no significance of the junction was observed for fatigue loading. Using GFRP faces, a shift of the failure mode from premature core failure in quasi-static tests to face failure at the core junction in fatigue tests was observed. In addition to the failure tests, the sandwich configurations have been analysed using finite element modelling (FEM) to elaborate on the experimental results with respect to failure prediction. Both linear modelling and nonlinear modelling including nonlinear material behaviour (plasticity) was used. Comparing the results from finite element modelling with the failure behaviour observed in the quasi-static tests, it was found that a combination of linear finite element modelling and a point stress criterion to evaluate the stresses at the core junction can be used for brittle core material constituents. However, this is generally not sufficient to predict the failure modes and failure loads properly. Using nonlinear material properties in the modelling and a point strain criterion improves the failure prediction especially for ductile materials, but this has to be examined further along with other failure criteria.     

Evaluation of durability and strength of stitched foam-cored sandwich structures

The static and fatigue characteristics of polyurethane foam-cored sandwich structures are investigated. Three types of specimens with glass fabric faces and polyurethane foam core are used; non-stitched, stitched and stiffened sandwich specimens. The bending strength of the stitched specimen is improved by 50% compared with the non-stitched specimen, and the stiffened specimen is over 10 times stronger than the non-stitched specimen. After fatigue loading of 10⁶ cycles, the static bending strengths of all specimens decrease compared with those of the static test. To verify the aging effect of polyurethane foam, ultrasonic C-scanning equipment is used to detect damage of the skin laminate alone after the fatigue test for non-stitched specimens. From the results of UT C-scanning images, no damage is found to have occurred during the fatigue test. Results indicate that the decrease in bending strength of foam-cored sandwich structures is caused by the degradation of stiffness due to the aging of the polyurethane foam core during fatigue cycles. To investigate the effect of distance and diameter of stitching thread, four types of stitched specimens are used. The strength of stitched specimen is improved by increasing the stitching thread diameter and decreasing the stitching thread distance. But fatigue characteristics are not predominantly affected by the variation of stitching thread diameter and distance.     

面板材料对泡沫铝夹芯梁抗冲击性能的影响

为考查泡沫铝夹芯梁面板材料对其抗冲击性能的影响,运用数值模拟方法计算了相同重量下面板材料分别为304#不锈钢、工业纯铝和HRB335级钢三种泡沫铝夹芯梁在不同冲量作用下的动力响应;分析了面板材料对泡沫铝夹芯梁跨中变形及芯材压缩应变的影响.结果显示,在冲量相同的情况下,面板材料对泡沫铝夹芯梁的抗冲击性能有一定的影响;爆炸...     

Dynamic response of clamped sandwich beam with aluminium alloy foam core subjected to impact loading

The dynamic response of clamped sandwich beam with aluminium alloy open-cell foam core subjected to impact loading is investigated in the paper. The face sheet and the core of the sandwich beam have the different thickness. And the sandwich beam is impacted by a steel projectile in the mid-span. The impact force is recorded by using accelerometer. The results show that tensile crack and core shear are the dominant failure modes. And the impact velocity and the thickness of the face sheet and the foam core have a significant influence on the failure modes and the impact forces. Combining with the inertia effect and experimental results, the failure mechanisms of the sandwich beams are discussed. The thickness of the foam core plays an important role in the failure mechanism of the sandwich beam. In present paper, the failure of the sandwich beam with a thin core is dominated by the bending moment, while the sandwich beam with a thick core fails by bending deformation in the front face sheet and the bottom face sheet in opposite direction due to the plastic hinges in the front face sheet.     

Static indentation and unloading response of sandwich beams

This paper deals with analysis of foam core sandwich beams subject to static indentation and subsequent unloading (removal of load). Sandwich beams are assumed continuously supported by a rigid platen to eliminate global bending. An analytical model is presented assuming an elastic-perfectly plastic compressive behaviour of the foam core. An elastic part of indentation response is described using the Winkler foundation model. Upon removal of the load, an elastic unloading response of the foam core is assumed. Also, finite element (FE) analysis of static indentation and unloading of sandwich beams is performed using the FE code ABAQUS. The foam core is modelled using the crushable foam material model. To obtain input data for the analytical model and to calibrate the crushable foam model in FE analysis, the response of the foam core is experimentally characterized in uniaxial compression, up to densification, with subsequent unloading and tension until tensile fracture. Both models can predict load–displacement response of sandwich beams under static indentation and a residual dent magnitude in the face sheet after unloading along with residual strain levels in the foam core at the unloaded equilibrium state. The analytical and FE analyses are experimentally verified through static indentation tests of composite sandwich beams with two different foam cores. The load–displacement response, size of a crushed core zone and the depth of a residual dent are measured in the testing. A digital speckle photography technique is also used in the indentation tests in order to measure the strain levels in the crushed core zone. The experimental results are in good agreement with the analytical and FE analyses.     

Fatigue behaviour of aluminium foam sandwiches

Aluminium foam sandwiches are subjected to four‐point bending fatigue test considering the effect of geometric parameters of panels, such as core and plate thickness, and loading mode, such as arm distance. Fatigue strength curves are expressed in terms of different stress amplitude parameters calculated using an analytical model based on laminated plate classical theory and a solid finite element method model. Despite, the notable fatigue data scatter, originated by foam intrinsic inhomogeneity, experimental fatigue curves are coherent and allow obtaining unified fatigue curves.     

Messung und Modellierung der Lebensdauer der Legierung AlCuMg2 unter zweistufiger Schwingbeanspruchung

Fatigue lifetime investigations on Aluminium 2024 under two stage cyclic loading by means of experiments and three microstructural models The aim of this work is to achieve information about the development of fatigue failure in the aluminium alloy 2024. The attention was focused on short fatigue cracks under cyclic loading and the occurring load sequence effects on lifetime under two‐level cyclic loading. Following the experiments, a revision of three different microstructural crack growth models, which were found in the literature, was made. Based on the data of constant‐level cyclic loading, predictions of two‐level cyclic loading behaviour were made and compared with the experimentally measured crack propagation rates and reached lifetimes.     

Fatigue and cyclic creep of replicated microcellular aluminium

The cyclic behaviour of 400 μm pore size replicated aluminium foam is assessed in tension-tension fatigue with a stress ratio equal to 0.1, keeping the load amplitude constant, for relative density values comprised between 0.175 and 0.220. The number of cycles to failure ranges from 6 × 10² (lowest relative density) to 5 × 10⁶ (highest relative density). The foams display cyclic creep coupled with a strong influence of relative density on their general fatigue performance. Data analysis shows that the foam fatigue behaviour is dominated by cyclic creep, which governs both the deformation and the fatigue life of the cycled specimens, yielding characteristics globally in line with what is expected knowing the metal making the foam.     

Face/core interface fracture characterization of mixed mode bending sandwich specimens

Debonding of the core from the face sheets is a critical failure mode in sandwich structures. This paper presents an experimental study on face/core debond fracture of foam core sandwich specimens under a wide range of mixed mode loading conditions. Sandwich beams with E‐glass fibre face sheets and PVC H45, H100 and H250 foam core materials were evaluated. A methodology to perform precracking on fracture specimens in order to achieve a sharp and representative crack front is outlined. The mixed mode loading was controlled in the mixed mode bending (MMB) test rig by changing the loading application point (lever arm distance). Finite element analysis was performed to determine the mode‐mixity at the crack tip. The results showed that the face/core interface fracture toughness increased with increased mode II loading. Post failure analysis of the fractured specimens revealed that the crack path depends on the mode‐mixity at the crack tip, face sheet properties and core density.     

Experimental investigation on bending fatigue failure of corrugated paperboard

A series of 3‐point bending fatigue tests were conducted to investigate the bending fatigue behaviour of flute type B and C corrugated paperboard samples under cyclic loading. The S‐N curve was obtained. The fatigue failure of corrugated paperboard may be described by both Basquin‐type and exponential‐type S‐N curves; however, the exponential‐type S‐N curve is more appropriate. The stiffness is gradually degraded with almost same energy dissipation in most stress cycles, but it decreases abruptly with the enlarged energy dissipation when the testing cycle is very close to the ultimate cycles of fatigue failure. The corrugated board deforms constantly under the action of cyclic loading, and no visible crack appears. The fatigue failure modes and mechanisms are same for the corrugated boards with B‐flute and C‐flute; however, the S‐N curve of corrugated board is closely related to the flute structure. The results obtained in this paper may be applied to the dynamic design and accelerated vibration test of stacked corrugated boxes.