Composite sandwich beams under low-velocity impact

Sandwich construction is widely used in aerospace and marine structures because the concept is very suitable and amenable to the development of lightweight structures with high in-plane and flexural stiffness. The basic idea behind these structures is the separation of relatively stiff and thin facesheets by a lightweight and thicker flexible core. A comprehensive work on composite sandwich structures that includes fabrication, testing and analysis of these structures under static and impact loading was performed. The experimental and theoretical aspects of the behavior of composite sandwich structures under low-velocity impact are presented here. An analytical model that predicts the impact force based on the mechanical properties and geometrical dimensions of the constituents and contact law was also developed. Carbon composites, PVC foams and various other core materials were considered and their influence on the structural behavior was well documented. The contact law and failure mechanisms were also analyzed in detail and will be presented in subsequent publications.