Shear and bending performance of carbon fiber composite sandwich panels with pyramidal truss cores

Structural performance in direct (pure) shear and three-point bending was investigated for sandwich panels with a carbon fiber pyramidal truss core. Analytical estimates for sandwich panel strength for each loading condition were presented for possible competing failure modes. In the experimental part of the study, pyramidal truss cores were made using the hot press molding technique and then attached to flat carbon fiber composite face sheets to build all-composite sandwich panels. Panels with different configurations (e.g., core relative density and face sheet thickness) were tested to probe different failure modes and investigate the mechanical properties. In general, measured failure loads showed good agreement with the analytical predictions. Failure mechanism maps illustrate the controlling failure mechanisms in various regions of parameter space.