Experimental investigation of the use of blind rivets in sandwich panels

Abstract

The paper presents experimental studies of the use of blind rivets (one side connection/blind connection) in sandwich panels with polyisocyanurate foam core. The laboratory pull-out tests of the rivets from the panel facing involved two types of blind rivets (with three and four clamping arms), two types of the sandwich panel facing material (steel and laminate) and an occurrence or lack of a primer layer, which is applied between the external facing and the polyisocyanurate foam during its emerging. As a result of the laboratory tests the mechanical characteristics of the varied types of the blind connections (the equilibrium load paths, the initial and the elastic stiffnesses, the elastic and the ultimate capacity, and the ductility) as well as the failure mechanisms were obtained. The provided research data was used to verify the finite element 3D model created in the Abaqus\CAE environment. This numerical model correctly predicts the results of laboratory tests in the elastic range of the mechanical response of the blind connection with steel facing.