Localized Load Effects in High-Order Bending of Sandwich Panels with Flexible Core

Abstract

Localized load effects using a high-order theory for the bending behavior of a sandwich panel with a “soft” core (i.e., flexible) in the vertical direction that is based on variational principles are presented. The theory embodies a rigorous approach for the small-deformation analysis of sandwich plates having high-order effects owing to the nonlinear patterns of the in-plane and vertical deformations of the core through its height. Thus, the high-order and local effects are an inherent part of the high-order theory and improve on the available classical and high-order theories. The formulation details the governing equations and associated boundary conditions for a general construction of a sandwich panel with unidentical skins and a “soft” core made of foam or aramid honeycomb. The theory uses a classical thin-plate theory for the skins and a three-dimensional elasticity theory for the core. The behavior is presented in terms of internal resultants and displacements in skins, peeling and shear stresses ...