Non-linear behavior of delaminated unidirectional sandwich panels with partial contact and a transversely flexible core

The paper presents the results of an investigation of the non-linear behavior of delaminated sandwich panels with a compressible core. The delaminated zone, at one of the face-core interfaces, consists of through-the-width crack, which is free of shear stresses but is capable of accommodating partial contact with compressive stresses only within the debonded zone. The governing non-linear equations along with the appropriate boundary conditions and the continuity conditions are derived through variational principles. The governing equations include moderate deformations type of kinematic relations, and include the high-order effects due to the transverse flexibility of the core. The governing equations along with the stress and displacements fields for the core and the appropriate continuity conditions are presented. The effects of the non-linear response and the partial contact are described through some numerical cases of three points bending typical sandwich panels with inner delaminations in the vicinity of a concentrated load, in the vicinity of a stiffened core and, finally, far from the load. Numerical results in the form of displacements, bending moments, shear stresses in the core and vertical interfacial normal stresses at the upper and lower face-core interfaces along the panel length and at the delamination crack tips are presented. Buckling curves of load versus various extreme structural parameters are included. The analyses show that a full contact type of delamination transforms into a partial contact area with buckling of the compressed face sheet, as the load is increased and it is associated with extreme large displacements and stresses.