Experimental investigation of 3D sandwich structure with core reinforced by composite columns

3D sandwich structure with foam core reinforced by composite columns, a new concept of sandwich structure, is designed and manufactured. Five types of samples with different densities of composite columns (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 4 columns/cm(2)) are fabricated, tested and analyzed under bending, out-of-plane compressive and shear loadings. The mechanical properties of compressive, bending and shear increase with increasing of the densities of composite columns. The failure modes were investigated under the optical microscope. The plasticity of the column-core sandwich structure subjected to bending and shear loads can be explained by the mechanism of the inclination and chain-like failure of composite columns. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.