Static and low-velocity impact behavior of sandwich beams with closed-cell aluminum-foam core in three-point bending

In this paper, the response and failure of sandwich beams with aluminum-foam core are investigated. Quasi-static and low-velocity impact bending tests are carried out for sandwich beams with aluminum-foam core. The deformation and failure behavior is explored. It is found that the failure mode and the load history predicted by a modified Gibson's model agree well with the quasi-static experimental data. The failure modes and crash processes of beams under impact loading are similar to those under quasi-static loading, but the force-displacement history is very different. Hence the quasi-static model can also predict the initial dynamic failure modes of sandwich beams when the impact velocity is lower than 5 m/s.     

Structurally graded core junctions in sandwich elements

The paper addresses the problem of sandwich beams/panels with junctions between different core materials. The physics of the impairing local effects induced by a mismatch of the elastic material properties at core junctions is discussed, and the results of an experimental investigation concerning the failure behaviour of sandwich beams with conventional butt and ‘structurally graded’ core junctions subjected to quasi-static as well as fatigue loading conditions in a three-point bending scheme are discussed. The novel concept of structurally graded core junctions presents different geometrical shapes of the core interfaces (e.g. bias junctions) as well as core junctions with locally reinforced faces. The novel design of core junctions is shown to provide larger quasi-static failure loads, and more beneficial crack initiation and propagation patterns in sandwich beams. Furthermore, it is shown that structurally graded core junctions perform much better than conventional butt junctions under fatigue conditions. Thus, the fatigue life of the sandwich beams with structurally graded core junctions was up to 38% higher than the fatigue life of the sandwich beams with the conventional junction design.     

Effect of impact loading on damage and Residual Compressive Strength of CFRP laminated beams

The effect of flexural impact loading on damage characteristics and on Residual Compressive Strength (RCS) of CFRP composite beam specimens was investigated. Detection and follow-up of interlaminar damage initiation and propagation processes were conducted via video inspection of specimens subjected to quasi-static loading. It was found that the shear delamination mechanism is the most effective in the reduction of RCS. The edge delamination process, on the other hand, seems to have only a minor effect on residual failure characteristics. Compressive failure was mainly controlled by sub-laminate buckling, which seems to be dependent on delamination length, damage location and layer sequence. The presence of tough adhesive interlayers was found to delay and even prevent interlaminar damage formation and growth under flexure and compressive loading. The dependence of RCS on initial flexural energy seems to be similar under both quasi-static and impact loading modes. It was concluded that the inter-relationship of flexural energy, damage characteristics and RCS, as derived via beam specimen testing, may provide a sensitive tool for comparative damage tolerance evaluation of different composite material configurations.     

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.     

Flexural behaviour of structural fibre composite sandwich beams in flatwise and edgewise positions

The flexural behaviour of a new generation composite sandwich beams made up of glass fibre-reinforced polymer skins and modified phenolic core material was investigated. The composite sandwich beams were subjected to 4-point static bending test to determine their strength and failure mechanisms in the flatwise and the edgewise positions. The results of the experimental investigation showed that the composite sandwich beams tested in the edgewise position failed at a higher load with less deflection compared to specimens tested in the flatwise position. Under flexural loading, the composite sandwich beams in the edgewise position failed due to progressive failure of the skin while failure in the flatwise position is in a brittle manner due to either shear failure of the core or compressive failure of the skin followed by debonding between the skin and the core. The results of the analytical predictions and numerical simulations are in good agreement with the experimental results.     

Deformation and impact energy absorption of cellular sandwich panels

The response and energy absorption capacity of cellular sandwich panels that comprises of silk-cotton wood skins and aluminum honeycomb core are studied under quasi-static and low velocity impact loading. Two types of sandwich panels were constructed. The Type-I sandwich panel contains the silk-cotton wood plates (face plates) with their grains oriented to the direction of loading axis and in the case of Type-II sandwich panel, the wood grains were oriented transverse to the loading axis. In both of the above cases, aluminum honeycomb core had its cell axis parallel to the loading direction. The macro-deformation behavior of these panels is studied under quasi-static loading and their energy absorption capacity quantified. A series of low velocity impact tests were conducted and the dynamic data are discussed. The results are then compared with those of quasi-static experiments. It is observed that the energy absorption capacity of cellular sandwich panels increases under dynamic loading when compared with the quasi-static loading conditions. The Type-I sandwich panels tested in this study are found to be the better impact energy absorbers for low velocity impact applications.     

Characterization of macrocrack propagation under sustained loading in steel fibre reinforced concrete

Preoccupation for improving concrete infrastructure durability has become just as important as safety issues and concrete cracking plays a key role for durability. Despite various studies carried out in the last decade, very little information regarding the propagation of cracking under sustained loading and the physical mechanisms involved is available. In order to address this problem, an experimental study on the propagation of a macrocrack under sustained loading in steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams was completed. This article describes the flexural creep tests carried out on 0.7 m long beams. The evolution of the deflection, the crack width and the crack propagation were measured until the specimens’ failure. The results permit the assessment of the influence of initial CMOD and sustained load levels on crack propagation, damage evolution, and the mechanisms leading to the rupture of the beams. In addition, behaviour of beams in sealed and drying hydric conditions with an identical loading history are compared to determine the influence of hydric conditions. The results show that crack propagation governs the failure mechanisms of SFRC beams subjected to high sustained load levels.     

Numerical simulation of reinforced concrete beams with different shear reinforcements under dynamic impact loads

The behavior of concrete/reinforced concrete structures is strongly influenced by the loading rate. Reinforced concrete structural members subjected to impact loads behave quite differently as compared to the same subjected to quasi-static loading. This difference is attributed to the strain-rate influence on strength, stiffness, and ductility as well as to the activation of inertia forces. These influences are clearly demonstrated in experiments. Moreover, for concrete structures, which exhibit damage and fracture phenomena, the failure mode and cracking pattern depend significantly on loading rate. In general, there is a tendency that with the increase of loading rate the failure mode changes from mode-I to mixed mode. Furthermore, theoretical and experimental investigations indicate that after the crack reaches critical speed of propagation there is crack branching. The present paper focuses on 3D finite-element study of reinforced concrete beams with different amount of shear reinforcement under impact. The experiments reported in literature are numerically simulated using the rate sensitive microplane model as constitutive law for concrete, while the strain-rate influence is captured by the activation energy theory. Inertia forces are implicitly accounted for through dynamic finite element analysis. However, the impact was modeled not by explicit modeling of two bodies but by incrementing the load point displacement till the maximum value and at the rate reported from the test. The results of the numerical study show that the numerical analysis using the procedure followed in this work can very well simulate the impact behavior of reinforced concrete beams. The static and dynamic reactions, crack patterns and failure modes as predicted in analysis are in close agreement with their experimentally observed counterparts. It was concluded that under impact loads, of the order as simulated in this work (blunt impact with velocity of around 1 m/s), the shear reinforcement does not get activated and therefore the dynamic reactions, unlike static reactions, are almost independent of the amount of shear reinforcement in the beams. However, the presence of shear reinforcement significantly affects the crack pattern and the cracks are well distributed in the presence of shear reinforcement, thus avoiding the formation of shear plugs.     

Effect of strain rate and density on dynamic behaviour of syntactic foam

The final objective of this study is to improve the mechanical behaviour of composite sandwich structures under dynamic loading (impact or crash). Cellular materials are often used as core in sandwich structures and their behaviour has a significant influence on the response of the sandwich under impact. Syntactic foams are widely used in many impact-absorbing applications and can be employed as sandwich core. To optimize their mechanical performance requires the characterisation of the foam behaviour at high strain rates and identification of the underlying mechanisms.Mechanical tests were conducted on syntactic foams under quasi-static and high strain rate compression loading. The material behaviour has been determined as a function of two parameters, density and strain rate. These tests were complemented by experiments on a new device installed on a flywheel. This device was designed in order to achieve compression tests on foam at intermediate strain rates. With these test machines, the dynamic compressive behaviour has been evaluated in the strain rate range up [6.7 · 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹, 100 s⁻¹].Impact tests were conducted on syntactic foam plates with varying volume fractions of microspheres and impact conditions. A Design of Experiment tool was employed to identify the influence of the three parameters (microsphere volume fraction, projectile mass and height of fall) on the energy response. Microtomography was employed to visualize in 3D the deformation of the structure of hollow spheres to obtain a better understanding of the micromechanisms involved in energy absorption.     

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.     

冲击作用下钢筋混凝土深梁动力性能试验研究

为了探讨在冲击荷载作用下钢筋混凝土深梁的动力性能,利用大型落锤试验机对两组具有不同静载破坏特性的简支钢筋混凝土深梁进行了不同冲击速度下的动力性能试验研究,并考虑了二次冲击的影响。通过对高速摄像机所记录的各试件在冲击过程中裂缝的发生、发展直至试件破坏的全过程进行分析和不同荷载下裂缝形态差异的对比分析,表明不同的冲击速度下试件裂缝的发生、发展过程及裂缝形态表现出明显的差异,二次冲击下的主要裂缝基本遵循一次冲击产生的裂缝路径发展。详细分析了冲击力和跨中位移时程曲线以及冲击力-跨中位移曲线的特征,发现冲击力峰值与冲击速度、最大跨中位移和跨中残余位移与冲击速度在不发生严重剪切破坏时均满足近似线性关系。分析还表明,具有较好延性的深梁具有更好的抗冲击性能。最后,通过对比分析冲击力、支座反力和惯性力时程曲线,得出采用冲击力峰值和支座反力峰值作为深梁的抗冲击承载力均不准确的结论。     

偏心夹心梁柱节点低周反复加载受力性能试验研究

实际工程中梁和柱的混凝土强度经常不同,节点部位按照梁的混凝土来浇筑是这种情况下施工处理最为简便的方式,形成所谓的“夹心”节点。一些研究者就夹心节点在单调加载和低周反复加载下的性能进行了研究,但对夹心节点同时又存在梁柱偏心的情况还没有研究先例。该文完成了3个偏心夹心梁柱节点的低周反复加载试验,并分析了其节点区抗剪承载力、破坏特征、滞洄耗能等性能。结果表明:此类偏心夹心节点具有良好的承载能力和抗震性能,并且在节点区布置X筋替代部分箍筋是可行的,但梁筋在节点区的锚固性能较弱,需采取控制措施。     

Dynamic models for low-velocity impact damage of composite sandwich panels – Part B: Damage initiation

Equivalent single and multi degree-of-freedom systems are used to predict low-velocity impact damage of composite sandwich panels by rigid projectiles. The composite sandwich panels are symmetric and consist of orthotropic laminate facesheets and a core with constant crushing resistance. The transient deformation response of the sandwich panels subjected to impact were predicted in a previous paper, and analytical solutions for the impact force and velocity at damage initiation in sandwich panels are presented in this second paper. Several damage initiation modes are considered, including tensile and shear fracture of the top facesheet, core shear failure, and tensile failure of back facesheet. The impact failure modes are similar to static indentation failure modes, but inertial resistance and high strain rate material properties of the facesheets and core influence impact damage loads. Predicted damage initiation loads and impact velocities compare well with experimental results.     

Approximate elastic-plastic analysis of the static and impact behaviour of polymer composite sandwich beams

An elastic-plastic beam bending model has been developed to simulate the post-upper skin failure energy absorption behaviour of polymer composite sandwich beams under three-point bending. The beam skins consist of woven and chopped strand glass, while the core is a resin impregnated non-woven polyester material known as Coremat. A polyester resin was used for the construction. The theoretical model consists of a central hinge dominated by a crushing core and tensile elastic strains in the lower skin. Experimental measurements of the non-linear force-deflection characteristics for the beam are compared to the theoretical predictions from the model, and it is shown that the shear crushing of the core has an important effect on the behaviour of the beam. The model shows that the most important material properties are the lower skin tensile failure strain and the core crushing strength. Dynamic effects are included in the model in the form of a strain rate dependence of the core crushing stress and the strain rate dependence of the failure strain in the lower skin. The increase in material strength with strain rate gives rise to an improved energy absorption capacity for the beam under impact loading.     

Fatigue Performance of Sandwich Beams With Peel Stoppers

Abstract:  This paper concerns a newly developed peel stopper for sandwich structures, which may be embedded as a core insert or an edge stiffener. The major purpose of the peel stopper is to prevent large debonds/delaminations between face sheets and core in sandwich structures in the case of failure. Experimental investigations of conventional sandwich beams and beams furnished with peel stoppers, under static and fatigue loading conditions, and with temperature monitoring, were conducted. The experimental programme included investigation of crack initiation and propagation, as well as of fatigue endurance of conventional and modified sandwich beams. The results showed that although the peel stoppers did not significantly influence the fatigue life of the sandwich beams, they were exceptionally effective in re-routing the crack propagation away from the face–core interface. Moreover, one of the two peel stopper designs presented prevented face–core debonding/delamination and total failure of the sandwich beams.     

GFRP复合材料-轻木夹芯梁弯曲疲劳性能试验

为研究真空导入成型的玻璃纤维增强树脂基复合材料-Balsa轻木（GFRP-Balsa）夹芯梁弯曲疲劳性能,进行了普通无格构、单格构增强、双格构增强三种类型共42根试件在不同荷载等级下的四点弯曲疲劳试验,得到夹芯梁的弯曲疲劳破坏模式、疲劳寿命和损伤演化规律,分析了三种类型夹芯梁在弯曲疲劳载荷下不同的损伤机制。研究结果发现,无格构夹芯梁的失效模式统一为芯材剪切和面板脱粘,格构增强夹芯梁的失效模式随格构设置及载荷等级变化,主要有上面板屈曲或压坏、下面板拉断等;采用指数经验模型拟合夹芯梁的疲劳荷载-寿命（S-N）曲线,得到三种类型夹芯梁的寿命预测公式;夹芯梁的位移演化历经"位移瞬降-平稳演化-损伤萌生至破坏"三个阶段,相对于无格构试件,格构增强试件在疲劳失效前有较明显预兆。     

Failure of AA 6061 and 2099 aluminum alloys under dynamic shock loading

Microstructural aspects of the deformation and failure of AA 6061 and AA 2099 aluminum alloys under dynamic impact loading are investigated and compared with their responses to quasi-static mechanical loading in compression. Cylindrical specimens of the alloys, heat-treated to T4, T6 and T8 tempers, were subjected to dynamic compressive loading at strain rates of between 2800 and 9200 s⁻¹ and quasi-static compressive loading at a strain rate of 0.0032 s⁻¹. Plastic deformation under the dynamic impact loading is dominated by thermal softening leading to formation of adiabatic shear bands. Both deformed and transformed shear bands were observed in the two alloys. The shear bands offer preferential crack initiation site and crack propagation path in the alloys during impact loading leading to ductile shear fracture. While cracks propagate along the central region of transformed bands in AA 6061 alloy, the AA 2099 alloy failed by cracks that propagate preferentially along the boundary region between the transformed shear bands and the bulk material. Whereas the AA 2099 alloy shows the greatest propensity for adiabatic shear banding and failure in the T8 temper condition, AA 6061 alloy is most susceptible to formation of adiabatic shear bands and failure in the T4 temper. Deformation under quasi-static loading is dominated by strain hardening in the two alloys. Rate of strain hardening is higher for naturally aged AA 6061 than the artificially aged alloy, while the strain hardening rate for the AA 2099 alloy is independent of the temper condition. The AA 2099 alloy shows a superior mechanical behaviour under quasi-static compressive loading whereas the AA 6061 shows a higher resistance to impact damage.     

复合材料夹芯梁屈曲破坏模式及极限承载

为研究复合材料夹芯梁在轴压作用下的屈曲、后屈曲特性及承载能力,进行了试验研究与有限元仿真。首先,开展了系列复合材料夹芯梁屈曲特性试验,研究了铺层比例、梁长度、表层厚度及芯层厚度等因素对其屈曲、后屈曲破坏模式及极限承载的影响;然后,基于非线性屈曲理论,采用三维内聚力界面单元模拟面芯脱粘,并引入初始预变形及材料损伤准则对复合材料夹芯梁在轴压下的屈曲特性及极限承载进行仿真研究。结果显示:界面脱粘是屈曲破坏的重要模式;仿真计算的极限承载与试验结果相比,误差控制在10%以内。所得结论表明该方法可有效预报复合材料夹芯梁的后屈曲路径、破坏模式及极限承载。      

The static and impact behaviour of polymer composite sandwich beams

The static and dropped weight impact performance of polymer composite sandwich beams has been investigated in a three-point bend configuration. The skin materials examined included woven fabrics of glass, carbon and aramid fibre, as well as glass chopped strand mat. The core materials were Coremat^™ (resin-impregnated non-woven polyester) and Aeroweb^™ aluminium honeycomb. Polyester and epoxy resin matrices were used. The static failure modes of beams with various core and skin combinations are discussed. The dominant failure modes for both glass/Coremat and glass/Aerolam^™ beams involved upper skin failure in the vicinity of the penetrator. The dropped weight impact performance of the latter two types of beam, at impact speeds of up to 7.5 m s⁻¹, was investigated. The Coremat-cored beams showed marked rate dependence effects, with failure energies reducing to a minimum at a given drop height and then increasing again with increasing drop height. The honeycomb-cored beams showed only slight rate dependence. The dynamics of the beam tests are discussed in terms of mass spring models and times to failure in the upper skins highlighted.     

The structural response of clamped sandwich beams subjected to impact loading

The structural response of dynamically loaded monolithic and sandwich beams made of aluminum skins with different cores is determined by loading the end-clamped beams at mid-span with metal foam projectiles. The sandwich beams comprise aluminum honeycomb cores and closed-cell aluminum foam cores. Laser displacement transducer was used to measure the permanent transverse deflection of the back face mid-point of the beams. The resistance to shock loading is evaluated by the permanent deflection at the mid-span of the beams for a fixed magnitude of applied impulse and mass of beam. It is found that sandwich beams with two kind cores under impact loading can fail in different modes. Experimental results show the sandwich beams with aluminum honeycomb cores present mainly large global deformation, while the foam core sandwich beams tend to local deformation and failure, but all the sandwich beams had a higher shock resistance, then the monolithic beam. For each type of beams, the dependence of transverse deflection upon the magnitude of the applied impulse is measured. Moreover, the effects of face thickness and core thickness on the failure and deformation modes were discussed. Results indicated that the structural response of sandwich beams is sensitive to applied impulse and structural configuration. The experimental results are of worth to optimum design of cellular metallic sandwich structures.