Analytical and Case Studies of a Sandwich Structure using Euler-Bernoulli Beam Equation

Abstract

This paper presents analytical and case studies of sandwich structures. In this study, the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation is solved analytically for a four-point bending problem. Appropriate initial and boundary conditions are specified to enclose the problem. In addition, the balance coefficient is calculated and the Rule of Mixtures is applied. The focus of this study is to determine the effective material properties and geometric features such as the moment of inertia. The effective parameters help in the development of a generic analytical correlation for complex sandwich structures from the perspective of four-point bending calculations. The case study is built for a sandwich structure made of two materials; Aluminum and Steel. This case is solved using MATLAB . The main outcomes of the Al-Steel sandwich structure are the maximum lateral displacements and longitudinal stresses varying with number of sandwich layers.