Prediction on Deflection of Truss-Core Sandwich Panels in Weak Direction

Abstract

A V-core sandwich panel consists of two facing plates and a core of V-shaped stiffener. Sandwich panels of this type have high bending and shear-stiffness characteristics in the direction of the core placement. In the transverse di- rection, however, stiffness, especially the shear stiffness, is relatively weak. In this paper, the shear stiffness in the weak direction for V-core sandwich beams is analyzed. Due to structural geometrical compatibility, a theoretical expression for calculating the deflection in its weaker direction of the V-core sandwich beam is derived. The presented equation takes into account the contact interaction between the facing plates and the flanges of the V-core stiffener. A detailed compari- son between the theoretical and numerical results is conducted. Good agreement is obtained between the two results when geometrical parameters are in a valid range, and suitable geometrical range is finally presented based on error analysis.