Foam-filling techniques to enhance mechanical behaviors of woven lattice truss sandwich panels

Abstract

Woven lattice truss sandwich panel (WLTSP) is a novel lightweight multifunctional construction material. To further improve its compression strength and bending resistance, two foam-filling schemes were applied to strengthen the WLTSP. Flatwise compression and three-point bending experiments were performed to reveal the deformation, the failure, the energy absorption, and the foam-filling effect. The results show that foam-filling methods can effectively restrain the flexural and shear deformation of the fiber pillars in the woven-core and increase the flatwise compression resistance of the WLTSP. Foam-filling scheme can effectively increase the flexure ductility and failure load through enhancing the shear and indentation resistances of truss core of the WLTSP. All experiments reveal that the foam-filled woven lattice truss could effectively improve the crashworthiness of the WLTSP. Concrete foam can increase the total energy absorption (EA) but reduce the specific energy absorption (SEA). Polyurethane foam is a much better core-filling material to improve the crashworthiness of WLTSPs.