Modeling and characterization of fiber-reinforced plastic honeycomb sandwich panels for highway bridge applications

Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite decks have been increasingly used in highway bridge applications, both in new construction and rehabilitation and replacement of existing bridge decks. Recent applications have demonst rated that FRP honeycomb panels can be effectively and economically used fo r highway bridge deck systems. This paper is concerned with design modeling and experimental characterization of a FRP honeycomb panel with sinusoidal core geometry in the plane and extending vertically between face laminates . The analyses of the honeycomb structure and components include: (1) const ituent materials and ply properties, (2) face laminates and core wall engin eering properties, (3) equivalent core material properties, and (4) apparen t stiffness properties for the honeycomb panel and its equivalent orthotrop ic material properties. A homogenization process is used to obtain the equi valent core material properties for the honeycomb geometry with sinusoidal waves. To verify the accuracy of the analytical solution, several honeycomb sandwich beams with sinusoidal core waves either in the longitudinal or tr ansverse directions are tested in bending. Also, a deck panel is tested und er both symmetric and asymmetric patch loading. Finite element (FE) models of the test samples using layered shell elements are further used to correl ate results with analytical predictions and experimental values. A brief su mmary is given of the present and future use of the FRP honeycomb panel for bridge decks. The present simplified analysis procedure can be used in des ign applications and optimization of efficient honeycomb structures. (C) 20 01 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.