Analytical Solution for the Ultimate Strength of Sandwich Panels under In-plane Compression and Lateral Pressure

Abstract

The paper presents a closed-form analytical solution for the ultimate strength of sandwich panels with metal faces and an elastic isotropic core during combined in-plane compression and lateral pressure under clamped boundary condition. By using the principle of minimum potential energy, the stress distribution in the faces during uni-axial edge compression and constant lateral pressure was obtained. Then, the ultimate edge compression was derived on the basis that collapse occurs when yield has spread from the mid-length of the sides of the face plates to the center of the convex face plates. The results were validated by nonlinear finite element analysis. Because the solution is analytical and closed-form, it is rapid and efficient and is well-suited for use in practical structural design methods, including repetitive use in structural optimization. The solution applies for any elastic isotropic core material, but the application that stimulated this study was an elastomer-cored steel sandwich panel that had excellent energy absorbing and protective properties against fire, collisions, ballistic projectiles, and explosions.