The response of clamped sandwich plates with metallic foam cores to simulated blast loading

The dynamic responses of clamped circular monolithic and sandwich plates of equal areal mass have been measured by loading the plates at mid-span with metal foam projectiles. The sandwich plates comprise AISI 304 stainless steel face sheets and aluminium alloy metal foam cores. The resistance to shock loading is quantified by the permanent transverse deflection at mid-span of the plates as a function of projectile momentum. It is found that the sandwich plates have a higher shock resistance than monolithic plates of equal mass. Further, the shock resistance of the sandwich plates increases with increasing thickness of sandwich core. Finite element simulations of these experiments are in good agreement with the experimental measurements and demonstrate that the strain rate sensitivity of AISI 304 stainless steel plays a significant role in increasing the shock resistance of the monolithic and sandwich plates. Finally, the finite element simulations were employed to determine the pressure versus time history exerted by the foam projectiles on the plates. It was found that the pressure transient was reasonably independent of the dynamic impedance of the plate, suggesting that the metal foam projectile is a convenient experimental tool for ranking the shock resistance of competing structures.