• Composites Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.209-215
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• 2016

The failure of composite sandwich structures with thickness and material variation was studied. The main body of the structure is sandwich plate made of the carbon composite face and Aluminum honeycomb core. It is connected with composite laminated flange without core through transition region of tapered sandwich panel with foam core. Tension and compression tests were conducted for the total of 6 panels, 3 for each. Test results showed that the panels under compression are vulnerable to the face failure along the material discontinuity line between two different cores. However the failure load of which panel does not show such failure can carry 16% more load and fails in honeycomb core and face debonding. For the tensile load, the extensive delamination failure was observed at the corner radius which connects the panel and the flange. The average failure load for compression is about 7 times the tensile failure load. Accordingly, these sandwich structures should be applied to the components that endure the compressive loadings.