Measurement and analysis of the structural performance of cellular metal sandwich construction

The bending performance of sandwich construction with thin cellular metal cores has been measured and simulated. A mechanism map has been generated to characterize the predominant failure phenomena based upon collapse load criteria for face yielding, core shear and indentation. A previously developed constitutive law for the core material has been incorporated into numerical simulations. Comparisons have been made with the measured response. Initial discrepancies attributed to a core thinness effect were rectified by inputting core shear properties measured on materials having the same thickness. Analytical estimates for the stiffness,, yield load and limit load are compared with the numerical simulations and experimental results. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.