Holistic evaluation of sandwich structures for lightweight construction applications

Mechanical testing of sandwich structures

The “Evaluation and Design of Fiber Composite Structures” group focuses on the analysis and evaluation of polymer-based fiber composite materials used in highly stressed lightweight structures and components. Sandwich structures, which consist of a lightweight core and thin but stable cover layers, represent a special class of materials within composite structures.

Both experimental and numerical methods are used to characterize the mechanical behavior of sandwich structures. Depending on the specific application, customized test setups and standardized tests are carried out to evaluate the performance and integrity of these innovative materials.

Methods for evaluating sandwich structures

Modeling and simulation

• Continuum mechanics simulation / FEM (various software tools: mechanical, thermal, thermo-mechanical)
• Continuum mechanics nonlinear microstructure modeling
• Fracture mechanics modeling, material fatigue
• Numerical optimization methods, design optimization, robustness analyses
• Numerical parameter identification

Our services

1. Determination of mechanical and physical material properties of sandwich core materials
2. Development and implementation of component and component tests (e.g., sandwich shells)
3. Evaluation of the damage tolerance of fiber composite materials and structures using fracture mechanics methods (e.g., for predicting the service life of damaged structures)
4. Analysis of service life and aging behavior (e.g., under environmental influences)