Effect of core materials on the low-velocity impact behaviour of trapezoidal corrugated sandwich panels

A combined experimental study and numerical simulation is performed to investigate the effect of core materials on low-velocity impact behaviour of sandwich panels. Dynamic responses of three types of corrugated sandwich panels with the same geometric configurations, which consist of the same CFRP (carbon fibre-reinforced plastic) face sheets, but the different corrugated cores including aluminium alloy, stainless steel and CFRP are investigated in the present research. Reasonably good agreement has been achieved by comparing impact force, energy absorption and failure modes between experimental results and numerical simulation predictions. The present research reveals that fracture stress and fracture strain of the core material have a significant influence on the performances of the sandwich panels under low-velocity local impact, sandwich panels with stainless steel core has the largest capability of load carrying and energy absorption. Conclusions presented in the present research would be used in the development of neoteric lightweight multifunctional smart structures.