Investigating the performance of GFRP/wood-based honeycomb sandwich panels for sustainable prefab building construction

The static failure behavior of innovative wood-based sandwich panels with wood-based core and face sheets made of glass fiber reinforced polymer was investigated. The sandwich panels were subjected to three-point bending and compression tests to determine their strengths and their failure mechanisms. The honeycomb core of medium density fiberboard (MDF) was manufactured to reduce the weight of the whole panel as well as the consumption of wood elements. The hollow portions of the honeycomb core were filled with wheat straw to increase the heat resistance of the whole structure by maintaining a lightweight. The tests showed that the mechanical characteristics of solid MDF structures were high as compared to MDF honeycomb panels. But, MDF honeycomb structures were superior because of their capability to sustain against the load after the failure. Load absorption capabilities and strength of honeycomb sandwich panels filled with wheat straw were little improved. The major fracture modes were transverse shear, longitudinal shear, and delamination. The delamination at core and facing interface was the significant problem which can effectively be reduced by using inserts into the core above face sheets.