Flexural analysis of discontinuous tile core sandwich structure

Three-point flexure loading of sandwich beams with a core consisting of discrete ceramic tiles (DTSS) is considered. The tile gaps may be bonded or unbonded (open gaps). The analysis utilizes a layer-wise beam theory approach. The general formulation for the displacements and stresses in the face sheets, face/core adhesive layer, and core is derived. Solutions for stresses and displacements of the beam constituents are obtained from finite element formulation based on analytical solution of the face sheet/tile unit cell. The approach is verified by comparison to stress results obtained from ordinary finite element analysis where each layer is modeled discretely. Effects of load introduction and support conditions on the effective flexural stiffness are examined. It is demonstrated that the face sheets experience substantial stress concentrations at the tile joint locations, especially if the gaps are unfilled. Analysis of beam compliance reveals sensitivity to details of load introduction and support conditions, especially when the span length becomes comparable to the tile length.