07.25: Assessment of the utilisation of corrugated cardboard as a core material for sandwich panels

Abstract

ABSTRACTSandwich panels became well‐established in industrial structures within the last 25 years, because they are light weight, cost efficient and provide a complete building envelope. Usually the panels consist of a thick core layer with a low density in between two thin metal face sheets. Both the face sheet and the core layer carry loads. While the face sheets provide high strength for axial stresses, the function of the core is to carry shear stresses and support the thin face sheets against wrinkling normal to their plane. Furthermore the core material acts as thermal insulation.The two most commonly used core materials for sandwich panels, polyurethane foam and mineral wool, have significant disadvantages concerning ecology and health compatibility. They are either petroleum‐based or fabricated with binders, which are based on non‐renewable resources. The energy consumption during the production process is very high. These core materials are hardly recyclable and their disposal is connected to great expense and environmental pollution.Corrugated cardboard has not only good thermal insulation properties. It also has a high load‐carrying capacity by being low‐costs and lightweight. The aim of this research project is the assessment of the utilisation of corrugated cardboard as a new core material for sandwich panels in building industries. The core is assembled by many layers of commercially available corrugated cardboard, glued together with organic binders. Mechanical and building physical properties are obtained for different kinds of corrugated cardboard as well as for different orientations. The material behaves anisotropic and thus, depending on the orientation of the core stiffness and strength could be determined, which are similar or even higher than these of common core materials. In this paper the results of so far conducted experimental investigations are presented and an outlook on future approach is given.