Nonlinear local response of foam-filled sandwich plates with laminated faces under combined transverse and in-plane loads

This paper deals with the nonlinear local response of foam-filled sandwich plates with composite laminated facts subjected to transverse patch load co mbined with in-plane compressive edge loads. The analysis is carried out by modeling loaded faces as thin laminated plates resting on a two-parameter (Vlasov-type) elastic foundation, from which the shearing interaction betwe en the loaded face and the supporting core-layer are included. An analytica l-numerical approach is developed to determine the local bending or postbuc kling responses of foam-filled sandwich plates with different sets of bound ary conditions. Both local displace ment and stress fields are examined. A detailed numerical investigation of the influence played by a number of lam inate parameters (fiber orientation, geometric dimensions) and foundation p arameters (elastic modular ratio and thickness ratio between face and core layers) as well as the load parameters is performed and pertinent conclusio ns are outlined. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.