Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2001

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair

Julio F. Davalos

Committee Co-Chair

Pizhong Qiao

Abstract

Fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) composite materials and structures have been increasingly used in highway bridge applications. Recent applications have demonstrated that FRP honeycomb sandwich panels with sinusoidal core can be effectively and economically used for highway bridge deck systems. In this study, analytical and experimental characterizations are presented for a FRP honeycomb panel with sinusoidal core geometry in the plane and extending vertically between face laminates. To verify the accuracy of the a closed-form solution, several honeycomb sandwich beams with sinusoidal core waves either in the longitudinal or transverse directions are tested in bending and torsion. Also, a deck panel is tested under both symmetric and asymmetric patch loading. Finite element models are further developed to simulate the actual sandwich geometry and also to simplify the structure as an equivalent three-layer laminate. The explicit and FE predictions are compared with experimental results. The present analysis and characterization procedures can be used in design applications and optimizations of honeycomb structures.

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