Compressive response of the Y-shaped sandwich core

The compressive response of the Y-shaped sandwich core has been investigated by analytical and finite element calculations. The effect of geometry, parent material properties and boundary conditions on the compressive response is explored in detail and models are developed for the stiffness, plastic collapse and elastic buckling strength of the Y-core. Practical Y-core geometries made from common structural alloys deform in an elastic-plastic manner; the elastic contribution to the collapse response can only be neglected for unrealistically low values of the parent material yield strain. Most practical Y-core designs have an almost constant collapse stress with increasing compressive strain implying that this geometry is an efficient energy absorbing structure.