Performance assessment of metallic sandwich panels under quasi-static loading

The current study forms a part of a larger experimental program investigating the performance of novel, lightweight, cost-effective, cold-formed, steel sandwich panels with different core configurations under blast induced out-of-plane loading. In the body of literature on sandwich panels, no general methodology is provided to assess their post-elastic behavior under either static or dynamic loading. This study represents a first step in determining the resistance of novel sandwich panels under blast pressure: it focuses on evaluating the quasi-static resistance function of the panels, which is instrumental to the determination of their dynamic response to blast, in accordance with recent American (ASCE/SEI 59-11) and Canadian (CSA S850-12) design standards. The tests carried out by the authors involve twenty-one panels categorized in several configurations, each characterized by a different core topology and deck profile, including uni-directional corrugated, bi-directional corrugated, and X-core panels. These configurations are investigated as plausible solutions to the problem of improving the strength, ductility, and energy absorption capabilities of panels tested in a previous stage of the experimental program. The modes of failure experienced by the test panels are identified and discussed. The load and deflection measurements recorded during the tests are used for the characterization of each panel resistance function in terms of yield load, ultimate load, and the corresponding displacements. The influence of core configuration and sheet thickness on the panels’ ductility and energy absorption capacity is also examined. The results presented in this study will be instrumental in the future development of lightweight, cost–effective sandwich panels, to be used as sacrificial cladding in blast resistant buildings.