Mechanical behavior of a three-dimensional truss material

A variety of novel manufacturing techniques can be used to make materials w ith a periodic, three-dimensional (3D) truss-like structure. The high stiff ness per unit weight of such structures makes them attractive for use in sa ndwich panels. In this paper, we analyze the elastic moduli as well as the uniaxial and shear strengths of one particular geometry of 3D truss materia l as a function of the aspect ratio of the unit cell. The analysis gives a good description of the measured properties. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.