Study upon the Damage Tolerance of Thick Sandwich Materials

Abstract

Sandwich composite materials are widely used in various applications, due to their advanced flexibility in responding to special design requirements. This paper presents the evaluation of thick sandwiches, aimed to be imbedded in platforms of a green energy unit, accommodating storage water tanks. The evaluation of the damage tolerance was made having in view previous studies on similar materials and covered assessment of results obtained during low velocity impact tests and post-impact tests, aimed to establish the residual mechanical performance. Ways to increase the damage tolerance, by diminishing the invasive effect of low velocity impact, were also explored.