THERMOMECHANICAL LOAD-CARRYING CAPACITY OF SANDWICH FLAT PANELS

Abstract

The study of the nonlinear response of sandwich flat panels exposed to thermomechanical loading systems is the topic of this article. The sandwich structure considered in this article consists of a thick core layer bonded by the face layers, which are assumed to be symmetrically located with respect to the midplane of the overall structure. The loads involved in this analysis consist of biaxial compressive edge loads, a lateral pressure, and a nonuniform temperature field. The effects of the unavoidable initial geometric imperfections and the character of tangential boundary conditions are incorporated, and their implications upon the structural response are explored. In short, the results of this study are intended to provide pertinent information on the thermomechanical load-carrying capacity of flat sandwich structures.