Strength and Stiffness Evaluation of Aluminum-Based Open and Closed-Cell Foam Core Sandwich Panels for Comparison to AM2 Al 6061-T6 Mats: An Initial Investigation

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to explore lightweight aluminum foam-core sandwich panel materials and structural configurations in order to compare their mechanical performance to that of Marine Corps AM2 Al 6061-T6 mats. The objective is to quantify the property variations with tailoring of foam core type and base skin structure and compare them to AM2 mechanical performance of specimens of similar dimensional scale on the basis of strength, stiffness and weight, among other properties. Quasi-static tests have been conducted and the resulting analysis has yielded strength-to-weight ratio increases of 11.2% under compression and 48.9% under flexure; the data variations are observed considering that the thickness of select specimen configurations is 50% lower than that of the AM2 mat configuration. The results aim to determine potential viable material/structural alternatives to inform future aircraft landing platform designs with the goal of enhancing logistics and maintaining or exceeding current matting mechanical performance.