Impact response of SCS sandwich panel with energy absorption connectors: Experimental and numerical studies

This paper developed a new steel-concrete-steel sandwich panel with energy absorption connectors (SCS-EC) for resisting impact load, and the impact responses of the SCS-EC were studied by conducting impact tests and Finite Element (FE) simulations. The failure modes of the SCS-EC under impact loading could be categorized into two types based on the crushing magnitude of the energy absorption connector (EC). The EC was found to effectively dissipate impact energy via the plastic deformation of pleated steel plates and the compression of aluminum foam fillers. The steel-concrete-steel (SCS) panel showed the combination of global and local deformation under impact loading. Moreover, the influences of pleated plate thickness (tp) and angle (theta p), aluminum foam filler and initial momentum on the impact performances of the SCS-EC were studied quantitatively. The results showed that the SCS-EC exhibited enhanced impact resistance via increasing initial momentum of the impactor as well as filling aluminum foam in the EC and assuring the maximum crushing displacement of the EC being equal to its densification displacement.

Automated summary

This study developed a new steel-concrete-steel sandwich panel with energy absorption connectors (SCS-EC) for resisting impact load and investigated its impact responses through tests and simulations. The failure modes of the SCS-EC were classified into two types based on the crushing magnitude of the energy absorption connector (EC). The EC effectively dissipated impact energy through the plastic deformation of pleated steel plates and the compression of aluminum foam fillers, while the SCS panel exhibited global and local deformation under impact loading. Additionally, the effects of pleated plate thickness and angle, aluminum foam filler, and initial momentum on the impact performances of the SCS-EC were quantitatively studied.