ABSTRACT
This paper reports the results of an experimental investigation into the influence of curvature, construction type and load direction on the air-blast response of singly curved sandwich panels with glass fibre reinforced epoxy (GFRE) facesheets and PVC foam cores. Flat and singly curved panels were manufactured using a vacuum infusion technique to investigate the effects of curvature and load direction on the overall blast performance. The panels were mounted in a clamp frame and subjected to air blast loading by detonating discs of plastic explosive PE4 near the panel surface. The influence of load direction was ascertained by performing tests that loaded the curved panels on either the convex or concave surface. Blast test results showed that the convex panels exhibited lower impulse transfer than the concave and flat panels. Convex sandwich panels exhibited lower damage levels for a given charge mass and a higher charge mass rupture initiation on the rear skin than their concave counterparts. Recommendations include increasing the thickness of the front skin to delay the onset of rupture for the sandwich configuration.
