Failure mode maps for composite sandwich panels subjected to air blast loading

Failure mode maps for sandwich panels with composite face sheets are presented. These failure mode maps can provide useful insights on how panel failure depends on the key variables in the problem. To include dynamic effects in the problem the sandwich panel was modeled as a single-degree-of-freedom mass–spring system. This allows one to simulate the effect of blast loading on the panels. A comparison with some quasi-static test results was performed and it was found that the experimental data were consistent with the analysis.