Enhanced mechanical performance of foam core sandwich composites with through the thickness reinforced core

The purpose of this study is to improve the mechanical performance of the foam core sandwich composites with a rather simpler method of core reinforcement. With this aim; sandwich composite panels are manufactured using only-perforated foam and perforated-stitched foam as the core with multi-axial glass fabrics as the facesheet materials by vacuum infusion method using epoxy resin. Sandwich composites with perforated core, stitched core and plain core have been compared in terms of compressive, bending, shear and impact performances. It was seen that newly proposed perforated core specimens and stitched core specimens with relatively insignificant weight increase have superior mechanical performances than plain core specimens. Thus reinforcing foam core with perforation and stitching is proposed as simpler but very effective method in performance improvement for the sandwich composites.     

Sensitivity of structurally loaded sandwich panels to localized ballistic penetration

This paper describes a series of tests focused on the combination of structural loading (bending, shear) and simultaneous penetrating impact on sandwich panels with thin GFRP face-sheets, with emphasis on the specific damage morphologies and developments depending on the type and magnitude of structural loading. The test specimens were sandwich panels, length 250 mm and width 150 mm, with carbon fibre prepreg face-sheets ([0°/90°], thickness t_f ≅ 0.5 mm) bonded to the faces of a foam core (density 80 kg/m³, thickness H = 10 mm). The impact velocity was approximately 420 m/s, using a spherical steel impactor, diameter 10 mm, with a mass of 4.1 g. A high-speed camera was used for registration of panel response. It was demonstrated, that, at preload levels above a specific limit, the impact would cause catastrophic failure, i.e., complete or near-complete loss of structural load carrying capacity. Developments of failure morphology, consistent with the observed evidence, were derived and outlined.     

Optimal design of sandwich panels made of wood veneer hollow cores

In response to the growing interest in replenishable, lightweight, stiff and strong materials, a novel sandwich panel with a hollow core has been manufactured using commercially produced 3-ply veneer. In this paper, the out-of-plane shear behaviour of the novel hollow core is analysed and the expressions for the failure loads are developed. A strength-based optimisation problem is formulated for predicting the optimum values of the panel dimensions that would produce minimum panel weight when subjected to bending. It has been found that the minimum weight, as predicted by the full four-parameter optimisation, is slightly lower than that obtained by using the closed form expressions derived on the basis of simplified three-parameter optimisation. Relationships between the active failure modes are explored. Design maps are shown for a wide range of loading that can be used to calculate the minimum panel weight and the corresponding values of the geometric parameters. The approach developed is general and is equally applicable for sandwich panels with similar hollow cores made of other materials.     

Energy absorption of SMC/balsa sandwich panels with geometrical triggering features

The influence of triggering topologies on the peak load and energy absorption of sandwich panels loaded in in-plane compression is investigated. Sandwich panels with different geometrical triggering features are manufactured and tested experimentally. Damage initiation in panels with grooves is investigated using finite element models.     

Experimental, numerical, and analytical results for buckling and post-buckling of orthotropic rectangular sandwich panels

Rectangular orthotropic sandwich fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) panels were tested for buckling in uniaxial compression. The panels, with either balsa or linear PVC foam cores, were tested in two sizes: 183 cm×92 cm (72 in.×36 in.) and 122 cm×92 cm (48 in.×36 in.) for aspect ratios of 2.0 and 1.3, respectively. The sandwich panels were fabricated using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) technique. The two short edges of the sandwich panels were clamped, while the two long edges were simply supported. The experimental elastic buckling loads of panels with an aspect ratio of 1.3 were 400 kN (90 klb) for balsa core panels and 267 kN (60 klb) for foam core panels. For balsa and foam core panels with an aspect ratio 2.0, the experimental buckling loads were 334 kN (75 klb) and 240 kN (54 klb), respectively. Experimental buckling results for balsa core panels of both sizes differed by 5–8% from numerical and analytical results. Differences in experimental and predicted buckling loads for foam core panels ranged between 15% and 23%. Post-buckling collapse of balsa and foam core panels with an aspect ratio of 1.3 were 694 kN (156 klb) and 347 kN (78 klb), respectively. For balsa and foam core panels with an aspect ratio of 2.0, post-buckling collapse occurred at 592 kN (133 klb) and 334 kN (75 klb), respectively. A numerical post-buckling analysis qualitatively followed that of the experimental results.     

On the elastic stability of simply supported anisotropic sandwich panels

Here, the elastic stability behavior of simply supported anisotropic sandwich flat panels subjected to mechanical in-plane loads is investigated using an analytical approach. The formulation is based on first-order shear deformation theory and the shear correction factors employed are based on energy consideration that depends on the lay-up as well as material properties. The governing equations are obtained using the Raleigh–Ritz method assuming a combination of sine and cosine functions in the form of double Fourier series for the displacement fields. The effectiveness of the integrated formulation is tested for global characteristics considering examples related to multi-layered laminates and sandwich panels for which solutions are available.     

Experimental and numerical study of oblique impact on woven composite sandwich structure: Influence of the firing axis orientation

During flight, aircrafts can be submitted to complex loadings. The reliability of their structure is an essential aspect in ensuring passenger safety. In the specific case of helicopters, blades are subjected to impact loading. The following work will focus on the experimental and numerical study of an oblique impact on the skin of the blade. It is equivalent in a first approach to an impact on a sandwich panel comprising a foam core and a thin woven composite skin. This study aims to identify the mechanisms of damage to the skin for different orientations of the firing axis, and to develop a representative model of the damage kinetics adapted to the modeling of the complete structure. Thus, an F.E. semi-continuous explicit model has been developed. It relies on the development of a specific damageable element at the woven mesh scale. Numerical results obtained are accurate, allowing the identification of the damage mechanism of the woven skin for different firing orientations.     

In-plane shear behavior of insulated precast concrete sandwich panels reinforced with corrugated GFRP shear connectors

Precast concrete sandwich panels often are used for the exterior cladding of residential and commercial buildings due to their thermal efficiency. Precast concrete sandwich panel systems consist of two precast reinforced concrete walls that are separated by a layer of insulation and joined by connectors that penetrate the insulation layer and are anchored to two precast concrete wythes. This paper presents push-out test results of concrete sandwich panels with and without corrugated shear connectors to investigate in-plane shear performance. The variables in this study are two types of insulation materials and the width, pitch, and embedment length of shear connectors. The test results indicate that the type of insulation material that is used in the system considerably affects the bond strength between the concrete walls and the insulation layer. A design equation adopted in ICC-ES is revised to determine the shear design capacity of precast concrete sandwich panels with various configurations of shear connectors.     

Flexural performance of sandwich panels comprising polyurethane core and GFRP skins and ribs of various configurations

This study explored the feasibility of fabrication and flexural performance of panels composed of low-density polyurethane foam core sandwiched between two GFRP skins. A comprehensive material testing program was first carried out on the constituents. Large scale panels with nominal dimensions of 2500 × 660 × 80 mm were then tested in one-way bending under a simulated uniform load. Various configurations of internal and exterior GFRP ribs connecting the two skins were explored and compared to a panel without ribs. The study showed that, by integrating the ribs, strength and stiffness of the panels increased substantially, by 44–140%, depending on the configuration of the ribs. The maximum gain in strength was equivalent to the effect of doubling the core density in a panel without ribs. Shear deformation of the core contributed over 50% of mid-span deflection in the panel without ribs. By adding ribs, flexure became more dominant and shear deformations of the ribs contributed only 15–20% of the total deflection. Simple analytical expressions have been proposed, and captured these effects reasonably accurately. It was shown that ultimate strengths of the panels were equivalent to those of similar size reinforced concrete panels with moderate to heavy steel reinforcement ratios of 0.6–2.0%, but sandwich panels were 9–14 times lighter in weight.     

Two-way bending behavior of 3-D GFRP sandwich panels with through-thickness fiber insertions

This paper presents the details of a research program that was conducted to evaluate the two-way bending behavior of 3-D glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) sandwich panels. The panels consist of GFRP skins with a foam core and through-thickness fiber insertions. While the behavior of these panels under one-way bending is relatively well understood the behavior under two-way bending has not yet been investigated. An experimental program was conducted to evaluate the effect of the fiber insertion pattern and the panel thickness on the two-way bending behavior under the effect of a concentrated load. The experimental results were used to verify a non-linear, static finite element model which was used to introduce a simplified method to predict the behavior. The measured and predicted responses indicate that at lower deflections the panel behavior is dominated by plate bending action while for higher deflections membrane action dominates. The finite element analysis was extended to study the effect of different parameters which were not tested in the experimental program. The parametric study indicates that increasing the relative flexural or shear rigidities of the panel alters the behavior towards the plate bending mechanism thereby reducing the percentage of load carried by membrane action.     

Contribution to the understanding of the mechanical behaviour of CFRP-strengthened RC beams subjected to fire: Experimental and numerical assessment

Recent experimental tests and numerical simulations about the fire resistance behaviour of CFRP-strengthened RC beams proved that CFRP strengthening systems are able to attain considerable fire endurance, provided that adequate fire protection systems are used. In a fire event, even though a CFRP laminate may rapidly debond from the central part of the beam in which it is installed, if sufficiently thick insulation is applied in the anchorage zones, the laminate transforms into a “cable” fixed at the extremities, thus maintaining a considerable contribution to the mechanical response of the strengthened beam. This paper presents experimental and numerical investigations on CFRP-strengthened RC beams with the objective of understanding in further depth their fire resistance behaviour, namely the influence of the above mentioned “cable” mechanism on the mechanical response of the beams. The experimental campaign, performed at ambient temperature, comprised 4-point bending tests on RC beams strengthened with CFRP laminates according to either the EBR or the NSM techniques, in both cases fully or partially (only at the anchorages, thus simulating the cable mechanism) bonded to the soffit of the beams. For the test conditions used in this study, for both types of strengthening systems, partially bonding the CFRP laminates did not affect the stiffness of the beams and caused only a slight reduction of their strength (6–15%). The numerical study comprised the simulation of the structural response of all beams tested. Non-linear finite element models were developed in Atena commercial package, in which a smeared cracked model was adopted to simulate concrete and appropriate bond-slip constitutive relations were defined for the CFRP-concrete interfaces. A very good agreement was obtained between experimental data and numerical results, providing further validation to the “cable” mechanism and the possibility of taking it into account when designing fire protection systems for CFRP-strengthened RC beams.     

Shock loading response of sandwich panels with 3-D woven E-glass composite skins and stitched foam core

Sandwich composite are used in numerous structural applications, with demonstrated weight savings over conventional metals and solid composite materials. The increasing use of sandwich composites in defense structures, particularly those which may be exposed to shock loading, demands for a thorough understanding of their response to suc highly transient loadings. In order to fully utilize their potential in such extreme conditions, design optimization of the skin and core materials are desirable. The present study is performed for a novel type of sandwich material, TRANSONITE^® made by pultrusion of 3-D woven 3WEAVE^® E-glass fiber composites skin preforms integrally stitched to polyisocyanurate TRYMER^TM 200L foam core. The effect of core stitching density on the transient response of three simply supported sandwich panels loaded in a shock tube is experimentally studied in this work. The experimental program is focused on recording dynamic transient response by high-speed camera and post-mortem evaluation of imparted damage. The obtained experimental results reveal new important features of the transient deformation, damage initiation and progression and final failure of sandwich composites with unstitched and stitched foam cores. The theoretical study includes full 3-D dynamic transient analysis of displacement, strain and stress fields under experimentally recorded surface shock pressure, performed with the use of 3-D MOSAIC analysis approach. The obtained theoretical and experimental results for the transient central deflections in unstitched and two stitched foam core sandwiches are mutually compared. The comparison results reveal large discrepancies in the case of unstitched sandwich, much smaller discrepancies in the case of intermediate stitching density, and excellent agreement between theoretical and experimental results for the sandwich with the highest stitching density. The general conclusion is that further comprehensive experimental and theoretical studies are required in order to get a thorough understanding of a very complex behavior of composite sandwiches under shock wave loading.     

Experimental investigation of local bending effects in the vicinity of a junction between a straight sandwich beam and a curved sandwich beam

The junction between a curved and a straight sandwich beam is investigated experimentally using electronic speckle pattern interferometry. This technique facilitates a whole field measurement of the displacements through the thickness of the sandwich beam. The experimental results are compared with results obtained using a high order sandwich theory model. The results generally show good agreement within the accuracy of the measurements, thus indicating that the gross response of the model is predicted accurately by the high order sandwich theory, while the localised bending effects in the vicinity of curvature change in sandwich panels have not been verified experimentally.     

Damage tolerance assessment of composite sandwich panels with localised damage

The work described herein is part of a larger context in which the effect of damage in sandwich composite structures for marine applications has been investigated. The overall aim of this effort has been twofold: to develop and verify existing damage assessment models to be used to assess the effect of damage on marine sandwich structures, and to develop a damage assessment scheme to be used by shipyards, ship owners and navies.More specifically, this paper presents a sub-set of this overall effort looking at impact and indentation damage and its effect on the load carrying capacity of state-of-the-art carbon composite sandwich panels for marine applications. Damage types are modelled based on physical observations from tests. Testing is then performed on different scales in order to validate the models. The overall aim is to use such models to produce information that can be used for decision-making at two levels. The first is to evaluate the damage tolerance of ship structural components and thus to calculate the size and extent of damage that a component can have without risk of growth or failure at ultimate local or global loads on the entire ship. The second is to have information at hand to decide if, and when, a structural part needs to be repaired if damage has been detected. A scheme developed for this purpose is presented herein. Finally the paper will briefly describe a common framework for damage assessment in composite sandwich structures. Herein, models are used in conjunction with the design specifics and functional requirements to create a scheme for repair decisions.     

Rapid simulation of impacts on composite sandwich panels inducing barely visible damage

The finite element based design tool, CODAC, has been developed for efficiently simulating the impact behavior of sandwich structures consisting of two composite face sheets and a compliant core. To achieve a rapid and accurate stress analysis, three-layered finite shell elements are used. A number of macromechanical damage models are implemented to model damage onset and damage growth.

The transient impact analysis is assessed via an experimental impact test program on honeycomb sandwich panels. Force–time histories and damage sizes are examined. The influence of distinct damage and degradation models on the impact response is analyzed. Results show that the presented time-efficient methodology is capable of accurately modeling core failure behavior and rapidly simulating low-velocity impacts which induce barely visible damage.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of carbon fiber sandwich panels subjected to blast loading

The objective of this paper is to investigate the structural response of carbon fiber sandwich panels subjected to blast loading through an integrated experimental and numerical approach. A total of nine experiments, corresponding to three different blast intensity levels were conducted in the 28-inch square shock tube apparatus. Computational models were developed to capture the experimental details and further study the mechanism of blast wave-sandwich panel interactions. The peak reflected overpressure was monitored, which amplified to approximately 2.5 times of the incident overpressure due to fluid-structure interactions. The measured strain histories demonstrated opposite phases at the center of the front and back facesheets. Both strains showed damped oscillation with a reduced oscillation frequency as well as amplified facesheet deformations at the higher blast intensity. As the blast wave traversed across the panel, the observed flow separation and reattachment led to pressure increase at the back side of the panel. Further parametric studies suggested that the maximum deflection of the back facesheet increased dramatically with higher blast intensity and decreased with larger facesheet and core thickness. Our computational models, calibrated by experimental measurements, could be used as a virtual tool for assessing the mechanism of blast-panel interactions, and predicting the structural response of composite panels subjected to blast loading.     

Experimental and numerical investigations of the mechanical behavior of half sandwich laminate in the context of blanking

In this study, the complex mechanical behavior of an aluminum/low-density polyethylene (LDPE) half sandwich structure was investigated during the blanking process. Mechanical tests were conducted for the polymer and metal layer and the delamination behavior of the adhesive between the two layers. A new testing device was designed for detecting the delamination under tensile mode. Corresponding finite element models were established for the mechanical tests of the metal layer and the delamination of both layers for inverse parameter identification. Material parameters for Lemaitre-type damage, Drucker-Prager, and cohesive zone models were identified for the metal, polymer, and adhesive, respectively. A finiteelement (FE) model was established for the blanking process of the sandwich structures. The experimental forcedisplacement curves, obtained in the blanking process of the half sandwich sheet, were compared with the predicted results of the FE model. The results showed that the predicted force-displacement curves and the experimental results were in good agreement. Additionally, the correlation between cutting clearance and changes in the forcedisplacement curves was obtained. Three feature values quantitatively described the imperfection of the experimental cutting edge. The effect of punch clearance on these values was studied numerically and experimentally. The results indicated that a smaller clearance generated a better cutting-edge quality. The stress state of the half sandwich structure during blanking was analyzed using the established FE model.The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-020-00308-z     

Buckling and postbuckling response of sandwich panels under non-uniform mechanical edge loadings

The buckling and postbuckling responses of cylindrical sandwich panels, subjected to non-uniform in-plane loadings are investigates in this paper by analytical method. A fourth and fifth order expansions are used respectively for the transverse and tangential displacement of the core to model the core compressibility effect. The stress distribution within the panels due to the applied non-uniform in-plane edge loadings are determined by prebuckling analysis. The governing partial differential equations describing the buckling and postbuckling behavior of cylindrical sandwich panels are derived using the principle of minimum total potential energy. Galerkin’s method is used to reduce the governing partial differential equations to a set of non-linear algebraic equations. Newton–Raphson method in conjunction with Riks approach is employed to solve the algebraic equations. Numerical results are presented for both flat and cylindrical sandwich panels subjected to various non-uniform in-plane edge loadings. The sandwich panels used in the present investigation are made up of isotropic and composite materials.     

Thermo-mechanical loading of GFRP reinforced thin concrete panels

The experimental investigation is focused on the thermo-mechanical behaviour of thin concrete panels reinforced with GFRP rebars. The considered thin panels (thickness of 4 cm) were exposed to increasing temperature and bending loading. These concrete elements are typical for low bearing function concrete layers in façade claddings. The influence of two aspects was studied: the concrete cover and the external surface of rebars. The heating condition was such that the temperature of the internal GFRP rebars reached about the transition temperature of the resins. This allowed to verify the variation of the deformability and the load carrying capacity of the panels with post-heating bending tests. As main outcome, the imposed temperature did not generate evident degradation of the GFRP reinforcement and of its adhesion to the concrete, while a reduction of the initial global stiffness was measured.