Structural Performance of EPS Core Based Cementitious Sandwich Panel under Various Loading Conditions

Abstract

Abstract Sandwich panels have gained a lot of popularity in recent years as engineers seek to replace the heavy, rigid constructions with the light weight structures that permit good energy absorption and deformation values. Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) core based cementitious sandwich composite panels are used as load bearing and non-load bearing panels. This EPS panel is a light weight, thermal efficient and reduces the cost of construction. This panel consists of upper and lower face skin and a core layer is sandwiched between the two face layers. In this paper the material for face skin used is structural plaster and for a core layer the material used is EPS. This paper mainly focus on the structural response of EPS core based cementitious sandwich wall panel based on linear quasi-static simulation in ABAQUS using finite element modelling for the axial and flexure loading. Further the performance is assessed under blast load, the pressure impulse (P-I) curves are developed using MATLAB. P-I curve methodology is used to generate the performance of panel. P-I curve implies that there is a significant damage induced on the wall panel. The sandwich wall panel analyzed as an isolated flexural response dominated structural component can safely resist the blast load.