Flexural behaviour of the composite sandwich beams with grid-scored foam: Experimental and theoretical approach

Abstract

Grid-scored foams contribute significantly to the flexural properties of sandwich structures such as boat hulls and decks, which are subjected to varying loads during service. This study presents experimental and theoretical investigations on the load-displacement response and failure behaviour of grid-scored foam cored sandwich beams subjected to three- and four-point bending tests with different span lengths. A simple analytical rule of mixtures approach was applied for the accurate prediction of the elastic properties of grid-scored polymer foam core. Theoretical formulations accounting for equivalent shear and bending stiffness of the sandwich beam were used to predict failure loads and mid-span deflections and were compared to the experimental results.