ABSTRACT
A structural sandwich (Figure 19.1) consists of two thin face sheets made from a dense and stiff material bonded to a low-density core. This structure provides very high bending and torsional stiffnesses at very low weight and has become popular for use in weight-critical structures such as parts of airplanes, space structures, ship hulls, sporting goods, and the internal structure of the blades for wind-power generation. As discussed in several classical and recent texts on sandwich structures (Allen 1969, Plantema 1966, Whitney 1987, Vinson 1999, Zenkert 1997, Carlsson and Kardomateas 2011), the primary function of the core, similar to the web in an I-beam, is to separate and support the face sheets against local buckling (wrinkling or face dimpling) and to transfer shear force between the faces without failure or excessive deformation. Also, the bond between the face and core is a critical component of this structure that is required to maintain the high stiffness of the sandwich panel.
