INFORMATION REVIEWED
AND REAFFIRMED
1958
LOAN COPY
No. 1834
By
H. W. MARCH, Mathematician
Introduction
In this report, formulas are developed for the deflections, bending moments,
and:reactions of the supports of a rectangular sandwich panel with simply
•supported edges that is subjected to a combination of a uniform lateral load
and compressive edge loads. The facings and core of the panel are assumed to
be composed of isotropic materials. Formulas that include the effect of shear
deformation in the core are developed for a general rectangular panel whose
sides may have any prescribed ratio. The results of computations are presented
for square panels having certain stiffnesses in shear. For rectangular panels
that are not square, computations can be made by using the general formulas.
The basic differential equation for the deflection of the panel is derived by
using a small-deflection theory and a method suggested by Donnell (2)3 for.
taking into account the effects of transverse shear deformation. Because the
boundary conditions are those of simple support, this method leads to results,
for the problem under consideration, that would be obtained by the methods of
Reissner (6, 7, 8) and of Libove , and Batdorf (5).
The formulas that are obtained are applicable to panels with facings of either
equal or unequal thicknesses. Although the facings and core are assumed to be
isotropic, the results obtained should form the basis for useful estimates of
the behavior of a sandwich panel with isotropic facings and an orthotropic
core ; provided that the two transverse moduli of rigidity of the core do not
differ greatly.
Rept. No. 1834 -1- Agriculture Madison
Mx
2 2
My wb +cr wb (1)
By2 B x2
_ 2
wb
Mxzr = -D (1 —cr
.ax .3 y
where T denotes the Poisson's ratio of the facings and D the flexural rigidity
of the panel-
fl f2 2)
Eff f1
(c 2
2 j (2)
D=
X (II + £ 2)
-The positive sense of Mxy is taken opposite to that chosen by Libove and
Batdorf (5).
Let Qx and Qy represent the transverse shearing forces per unit length of edge
of the edges sly and dx, respectively, of an element of the panel (figure 2).
The conditions of equilibrium of the moments acting on the element require
that
Mx .111xY -
= x D x (2wb )
(5)
aM
- + = -D 7'211%)
6X y .3y
Under the assumptions that have been made, the shearing strains e zx and eyz
are uniform across the thickness of the core. These strains correspond to the
aw
additional slopes due to shear, and 5, of the deflection surface. They
Dx
will be proportional to the shear forces Qx and Consequently,
(6)
where K is a constant that will be 'called the stiffness of the sandwich panel
in shear.
aw s
For comparison with Libove and Batdorf (5), it is noted that 73.a and
2Y
correspond to their y x and yam , respectively, and K to their Dck andrhich are
'%y
equal for the panel considered in this report because its facings and core are
aw, aw
_r
isotropic. The quantities --= and --Z, or 7x and 7 describe the inclination
"ax
to the normal of the deflected surface of lines that were initially normal to
the undeformed surface.
- fl f2 2
(c
+
2 c
K= (7)
where ,Lic is the modulus of rigidity of the core. More precisely, it was found
that, for the compressive buckling of a sandwich panel with simply supported
edges and with the facings treated as membranes, the tilting method and the
method of Libove and Batdorf (5) lead to the same result if their DQ is de-
fined by equation (7). For panels with facings of equal thickness, equation
(7) reduces to a form obtained byBijaaard (1).
aws - D
'6x (v2wb)
(8)
avir5
(72w
K ay IV
w = - -DV2w (9)
s K b
B 2mx a 21
v B 2w -32w)
+2
'a x2 By2 -B x2 - Py (10)
where
w ws
2 2
2 Z2wb a wb
D 2 Da (
x R (V wb) Py R y Wb)
Px —57 Py a2 w2 = -q
(12)
Let
Px Py
D = Px, D = k- = R, = g ( 13 )
'- •
Ll_wb 2 2-9%
b + (14)
ci xL4. 2c3 —•ay,11. Px z-x2 Py z y2 = g
"ax2 e2
where
1411) = 0, x = 0, x = a, y = 0, y = b (16)
2 mb
2
= 0 x = 0, x = a (1 7)
Bx2
2b
= 0, y = 0, y = b ( 16 )
By2
wb1
(19)
ci '3x 4 -1- Px x2 - g
Rept. No. 1834 -5-
A - 4g
c l aat3 1-12 k12)
when m is even.
The functions Ym are subject to the conditions (see equations (16) and (18))
c2 YM
IV (
-2C3am
2 1 II
Py) Ym e 4 a
1 m
ixta,
m
2)
m= (3 3)
Let
Y=e
"mY
(34)
or
4Q
(56)
M5n5rm
where
6S — (57)
m2
Equation (47), for wb at the center of the panel, can now be written:
(m 1)
2
(a, b\ _149_ \i> (-1) (58)
' w1D V. 7) + Sm)
m = 1 m5rm
m 1, 3, 5, ...
It may happen that rm = 0 for a given S and a certain pair of values of e and
m. In that case, it will be found that 1 + Sm = 0 also, and the indeterminate
term of equation (58) can be evaluated. Computationsfor the construction of
curves for w were found to be simpler if values of E .were chosen to avoid
those for which rm = 0.
1—€ S —7 (61)
Wm =
1 - Ps
In using formula (48) for Sm , if ,m„, and m are neither real numbers nor pure
—..
imaginaries, it is advantageous to express Sm in terms of 'Y n and 5 m (equations
(40)), Substitution of expressions (42) in equation (48) leads to the formula:
For the calculation of the deflection due to shear, ws (equation (9)), and the
bending moments, Mx and 11 (equation (1)), at the center of the panel, expres-
__
7321% a2 wb
ax2 and a372 at this point. It is readily
sions are needed for the values of ----
found from equation (46) that
a)
6 2.013 0 i ;-))
(m - 1)
2
-1) 2 am Am + Sm)
ax2
(63)
(m - 1)
2
4Q > (-1)
+ Spa)
773 a2 m = 1 m3r
M 1, 3, 5, 0••
where S is defined by equations (48) and (62).
m
0 2 w1 44, 13)
4Q
co
(m - 1)
(-1) 2
Tm (64)
ZY2 mTra?
3
3 m rm
M 1, 3, 5, 000
There
2 2
mm 1 1
Tm
(2 um2) cosh 41119m cosh mom
m
(65)
2
(y 2 - 8 2
k m msinh
y 0 sinh m0m
m m
y8 (cosh 2y 0 + cosh 26 o
m m mm
•
For the :-substitution of equations (63) and (64) in equation (9), note that
D 4Q _ 1 n 2 D 4Q = P e 4Q . WS
(66)
K a2 71 5 K 775
Then
03 (m- —
4Q5 ) (
e,
( 2
f f = 7,7 (1 Sm TI:1) (67)
m3rm
m = 1, 3, 5 ) ...
In accordance with equation (11), the deflection at the center of the panel,
/. b
Iv 7), can now be found by adding equations (58) and (67).
Bending Moments
4-
The bending moments Mx and M at the center of-the panel are obtained by
substituting equations (63) and (64) in equations (1). Note that
D4qa 4qa 2
7T3 a3 7r 3.i? D 773
Then
13\ 14qa2
Mxl2' (68)
a 7) 773
m = 1, 3, 5
and
uc
(m 1)
2
m (a b) = 4qa2 (-a)
[Tm (69)
y 2 4:1
77 ) rm
m = 1, 3, 5, ...
Reactions of the Supports
The reactions of the supports P and Ry are found from the equations
RX 2-7 Qx (70)
-)y-
RY = 9Y 4.
(71)
'3:1
.1
3,wr,
u 4. (2 )
a 3w
Rx -D (72)
3;0y2
3wb dr))
Ry M - (2 -cr ( 73 )
Y
3 ox2 ay
of the respective edges, the following quantities are needed for substitution
in equations (72) and (73). They are readily found from equation (46).
a3w
D
b
a, 7)- v2
4qa 1 (1 + Sm) (711)
m2
rm
m = 1, 3, 5, •••
Rept. No. 1831 -14-
1-2,
mm
tank
nh P-m &ra — tanh vm
Um - 2
- )
vm
2 2
vm
V = 2 (p. tanh p. m em - tanh vmem)
m on 2
lin) m
(79)
2 8 92 (ym sinh 2 am t)m + sinh 2Y
m m mm
b \ ), \
-cia / • 1
+ Sm - (2 - cr ) 'Pm]
(80)
772
m=l m2rm
m 1, 3, 5
and Lu
\-7--- (m - 1)
Fiy ( d s 1;'. 4qa /) -1) FV.
i 7
n
1
in - ( 2 - c ) U 1
in] (81)
, n2 m .1. 2
m rm L
m ::: 1, 3, 5 ) ...
16g
(84)
mnr2
=0
Amn
[(1 - p x ., m
a (2 - px 2/3n2
M
(86)
pit) Px(Im2 n
1- -
In accordance with equation (84), B different from zero only when m and
n are both odd.
In the notation of equations (52), (53), and (54), the denominator of the
fraction in equation (86) can be written in the following form, after intro-
duction of the lengths of the edges of the panel, a and b, by using equations
(83);
Then -
The denominator of the fraction in equation (87) will vanish if e and 0 satisfy
the equation obtained by equating to zero the quantity in brackets; that is,
if E andP satisfy the equation;
1 +S + n2 a2 l e n2a2 1 +
n2a2)
+ b2_
b2 j b2 Im p.
)
= 1 (88)
2
(11.2 n2 a2 \ 2 (2 n2a2
b2 b2
where m and n are both odd numbers, This is the equation of a straight line
in the variables e and a. It represents a critical combination of
Px
E = and P = for which the panel buckles into m half waves in the
P e • Pe
x direction and n half waves in the y direction, Equation (88) can be used
to determine a broken line in the Dsplane, such that buckling will not
occur for values of E and p that are the coordinates of points below this
broken line.
Equation (88), for the critical combinations of compressive edge loads, can
viniab
also be found from equation (46) by requiring that-=--- or ---- shall be
2 2
equal to i la,
where n is an,odd integer and'i =:\Fa:
2 •
Cm +n
•21,(
b 2
(-3.)
b)
2 am B m and n odd (89)
k
2c2 2 2
co
(n + n
d2 wb f a, =
> (-1) 2 P 2 B m and n odd (90)
ay2 V 2) n mn' - -
m=1n=1
90 co
im +n ;\
w s a, b • D
= -K
m=1n=1
> ( -1)
J.)( 2 +
m n-
co
(91)
im +n
= 7r2D
(_ 2 n2 a2\.) B
_
b2 / 1
a2 K m = 1 n = 1
m and n odd
.s n 2 J.) ,
S 'mn (92)
2
b /
m and n odd
By using equations (1), (89), and (90), the bending moments at the center are
found to be!
m and n odd
(11: + n
1)
(a b 77-.2 n 2a2
M 7' ( -1) 2 ---- +am B
y rtm
n b2 2/) n (95)
m and n odd
the numerator
In equation (86), Rmn contains the factor g =Din (see
,4 a b
equation (84)), and the factor :11-- in the denominator. Hence, Mx (7' 2) and
a4
my (a, ) are proportional to qa7 .
7
The expressions in double series for the reactions of the supports at the mid-
-, points of the edges are found from equations (72) and (73) and the quantities:
(n - 1)
a3wb (a, ) 2 3 Bmn , m and n odd
- (-1) a
;- •
m
= 1
(n - 1)
(-1) a 2 B m and n odd
m n mn,
3 a, (m - 1)
wt b (.4) 2 am261Bmn, m and n odd
ax
2 ?,3r
a, OD
t) \i)
(-1)(m 1) f>3 B m and n odd
n mn
3 m -1 n= 1
(n - 1)
( -1 ) 2 in m2 ÷ (2 _ 0_ )
Bmn (96)
a3 m = 1 n 1
m and n odd
orr
- 1)
n2 a
(-1) -7-- + (2 - a) m2 Bmn
b2 J (97)
m and n odd
From the discussion of Bmn following equations (94) and (95), it can be shown
that Rx and Ey are proportional to aa.
Formulas (58), (67), (68), (69), and (72) were used to compute the deflection
and bending moments at the center of a square panel and the reactions of the
supports at the midpoint of an edge of the panel. The computations were made
for various combinations of compressive edge loads, P x and P 1 and for three
values, 0, '0,1, and 0.2, of the parameter S. This parameter has the limiting
value 0 as the modulus of rigidity of the core becomes infinite. The values
0.1 and 0.2 are associated with cores of relatively low moduli of rigidity,
as can be seen from the definition of S (equation (52)). It is believed that
S will lie between 0 and 0.2 for most panels that are likely to be of practical
interest.
The method of choosing the values of e and p) that is ) of 51 and for which
e Pe
computations were made can be explained in connection with figure 3. The
straight line below which a point with coordinates Eand p must lie if the
panel does not buckle is determined from equation (88). This equation is
satisfied by a critical combination of edge loads. For a square panel,
equation (88) becomes:
If m = n = 1,
E 4 p - 4
0 1 + 23' (100)
01 2S
the first quadrant of:the 42.42. plane, provided that the value of the parameter
S is not greater than 0,3. This implies that, for such values of 8, the panel
will buckle in a single half wave in each direction. It also implies that the
term in which m = 1 and n = 1 in the Fourier's double series (equation (85))
is the term that will be most greatly amplified by the application of com-
pressive edge loads.
The combinations- of edge loads for which computations were made are shown
approximately by the crosses in figure 3. More points were chosen near the
line AB because the quantities to be computed change most rapidly in this
region. Because the computations are lengthy, points in the upper triangle
ACD of figure 3 were not chosen.
The maximum deflection, bending moments, and reactions of the supports can be
p
P,
obtained for any combination of edge loads, 6 = -= and p = -X, from the com-
Pe Pe
putations that were made, The maximum deflection tr(P 3) and the maximum
For a combination of edge loads represented by the point F2, figure 3, with
,
coordinates 62 and p2 , the central deflection w will be, from considerations
of symmetry, the same as that for the combination represented by the point F1,
withoPordinates E alicI A.1, provided that and P = 6 . Similarly,
1 2 = 1 2 '1
Mx and M7 for the combination F2 are equal to 31.1x and Mx , respectively, for the
combination F1.
The reactions of the supports have their greatest values at the midpoints of
the edges. For the square panel, the reaction will be somewhat greater at the
midpoints of the pair of edges on which the greater compressive load acts than
at the midpoints of the pair of edges with the smaller compressive load. This
statement can be verified by considering the expressions for the absolute
values of Rx and at the points (a,
a), respectively. These
0 and 2'
' C2
values will be denoted by IRx1 and IRy l. It follows from equations (96), (97),
(M 1)
= Da (-1) 2 n ( n2 4. 1.7 m2) Amn
rr (102)
= 1 = 1 ( m2 + n2)2 - m2 p n2) + S ( M2 4. n2 )1
where Alm- = : A n as implied by equation (84). Both m and n are odd numbers.
It is readily shown that, for the range of values considered in this report
for the parameter S, 1Rxi›1Ryi for a combination of loads represented by any
point on the line p . = 0, except the point (0, 0), where IRx l = fRyl. For a
combination of loads represented by a point on the line p = 6 (line OC in
figure 3), IRYI . For combinations represented by points between the
113x1 ' :=
lines p. = 0 and p = e, it is concluded that Rx There is no apparent 1
1 > IRYI*
It is known from flat plate theory that the central deflection of a uniformly
a, b
loaded square plate associated with bending, w b (7 7), with 6 = 1)=-- 0 in the
present notation, can be obtained quite accurately from the first term of the
double- Fourier series representing this deflection. The first term of the
series is also dominant when either e or p is near its critical value. These
facts suggest that the parameters that enter the first term of the series can
be used for predicting the deflection w b for any combination of edge and
uniform loads. From equation (87), this term is written
An
( e + p) (1 + 25) (1 03)
(6 +P) (1 + 2S)
. In figure 4,
wb is plotted as a function of this parameter
from averages of computed values. It is found that, for any value of
(E + p) (1 + 2S)
used in the computations, no individual value of wb
— differs
4
from the corresponding average by as much as 1 percent.
With the value of wb determined from figure 4 the total deflection can be
obtained approximately from the formula
w = (1 + 2S) wb (104,)
which is suggested by the first terms of equations (92) and (93). For S = 0.1
arid S = 0.2, the, agreement between the results given in tables 2 and 3 and
those obtained from equation (104) is satisfactory. Estimates of w can also
be obtained from formula (11):
w = w w
b s
with wb determined from figure 4 and
The first term of the double Fourier series for Mx and indicates that these
two moments are very nearly equal. When these moments are considered as
(e + M ., is determined
(1 + 2S) and the average, --K
functions of the parameter
14
for various values of this parameter, it is found that no individual value of
MX
Or differs from the corresponding by more than 1-1/2 percent. The
qa
2 qa 2 qa
• • nn• • • 1 • I. I1. • • •imow.m.
average, ---, can therefore be used with sufficient accuracy for practical
qa2
purposes in place of individual values of Mx and. my A plot ,of q a2 as a
qa2 qa2
p) ( 1 + 2S)
function of ( is given in figure 5 .
4
used in plotting these curves were those for which p, = O. For a given (6+P)
the curves will therefore yield the largest possible estimates of 22E1
qa2
Conclusion
(1) BIJL.MRD, P. P.
1949. STABILITY OF SANDWICH PLATES.
Jour. Aero. Sci. Vol.16, p. 573.
(2) DONNELL, L. H.
1946. THE EFFECT OF TRANSVERSE SHEAR DEFORMATION ON THE BENDING OF
ELASTIC PLATES.
Jour. Appl. Mech. Vol. 13, p. A-249.
(6) REISSNER, E.
1945. THE EktI LCT OF TRANSVERSE SHEAR DEFORMATION ON THE BENDING OF
ELASTIC PLATES.
Jour. Appl. Mech. Vol. 12, p. A-69.
(7)
1947. ON THE BENDING OF ELASTIC PLATES.
Quart. Appl. Math. Vol. V, p. 55.
(8)
1949. SMALL BENDING AND STRETCHING OF SANDWICH TYPE SHELLS.
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Technical Note
No. 1832.
bending moments
twisting moment
Px
D
p y Py
Px, Py
compressive edge loads
2n
77.
Pe
a2
: ,
O 0 : 0 0.0041 : 0.048 : 0.048 : 0.338 : 0.420
w Mx M
Table 2.--Computed values, for a square panel, of 7, qaY2,
qa
• a • : + p) (1 + 2S) w mx : Rxl Qx
E
4 : q qa qa
• : :
- ------- :___----: :-------:
O : 0 : 0 :0.0048 :0.0041 : 0.048 : 0.048 : 0.420 : 0.338
: : :
0 : 1.667 : .500 : .0098 : .0082 : .099 : .100 : .802 : .628
•
: . • • :
1.667 : 0 : .500 1 .0098 : .0082: .100 : ,099 : .759: .590
1.667 : .833 : .750 : .0197 : .0165 : .206 : .206 : 1.470 :' 1.120
: 3 • . : . :
.
and IR
qa for S = 0.2 1
:( e p)(1 + 2S): w wb : Mx : • Rx • Qx
I
4 ; Q•: q -qa2 : qa : qa
-The last digit of the values given in this table may be somewhat uncertain.