Finite element nonlinear dynamic analysis of sandwich plates with partially detached facesheet and core

A finite element model has been developed for analyzing of the dynamic response of sandwich plates with partially damaged facesheet-to-core interface. The effect of intermittent dynamic contact between the fragments detached at the damaged interface is taken into account for simulation of sandwich plates' vibrations. Transient and forced dynamic responses of the sandwich plates damaged by debonding have been obtained by using the ABAQUS/Explicit code. The influence of the local strongly nonlinear contact behavior on the global dynamics of the sandwich plates is examined.

► A dynamic behavior of sandwich plates with a partially non-bonded interface between the facesheet and the core is considered.
► A finite element formulation of the problem including dynamic contact in the freely vibrating detached segments is done.
► A three-dimensional model of a sandwich plate with penny-shaped debonding is designed using the ABAQUS code.
► The influence of intermittent contact on transient and forced responses of the sandwich plate is studied.