Energy-absorbing sandwich structures under blast loading

An experimental study at the Army Research Laboratories shows that flat panels with foam or honeycomb faceplates transferred more energy to a structure under blast loading relative to a structure without an energy absorbing faceplate. The objective of this work is to simulate non-uniform response of sandwich panels subject to blast loading. This involves an investigation into the optimum design of a square-celled sandwich structure for energy absorption. Variables under investigation are the core and face sheet thicknesses of the sandwich structure. Results of a design of experiments study are attained, which evaluate the relative contribution of panel variables to energy absorption. Also, the results of an optimization study are discussed along with some of the problems faced during this study. The Armor Personnel Carrier vehicle is then modeled to compare the damages on the vehicle with and without the optimized sandwich structure.