Local indentation of aluminum foam core sandwich beams at elevated temperatures

Abstract Sandwich structures with metallic foam core are sensitive to local indentation because of the low strength of the foam core and low bending stiffness of the thin face sheets. In this paper, local indentation responses of rigid supported and simply supported sandwich beams at elevated temperatures were studied. Quasi-static indentation tests at different temperatures were carried out for rigid supported sandwich beams with aluminum face sheets and closed-cell aluminum foam core. The deformation and failure behaviors were explored and the indentation load responses were compared. A dimensionless parameter was introduced and an analytical prediction model of indentation load was established. Quasi-static indentation tests were also carried out for simply supported sandwich beams and effects of face sheet thickness, core thickness and relative density of the foam core on the indentation response and energy absorption of sandwich beams were discussed.