Failure analysis of adhesively bonded steel corrugated sandwich structures under three-point bending

Failure modes and critical loads for adhesively bonded steel corrugated sandwich structure under three-point bending in both longitudinal and transverse direction are investigated. An analytical model considering both adhesive joint effects and classic beam theory is developed for predicting the failure modes and stresses in each member of the sandwich structure. Then the corresponding experiments and the numerical analysis by using cohesive zone model are also carried out. The experimental data, numerical results and the analytical predictions are all agree well with each other. Furthermore, based on the analytical expressions, the failure mechanism maps for three-point bending are constructed to get better understanding of failure modes and minimum weight design. Besides, the effects of adhesive parameters on failure modes and stress distribution are further studied by using the analytical model.