Dynamic Response of Fiber–Metal Laminates Sandwich Beams under Uniform Blast Loading

In this work, theoretical and numerical studies of the dynamic response of a fiber-metal laminate (FML) sandwich beam under uniform blast loading are conducted. On the basis of a modified rigid-plastic material model, the analytical solutions for the maximum deflection and the structural response time of FML sandwich beams with metal foam core are obtained. Finite element analysis is carried out by using ABAQUS software, and the numerical simulations corroborate the analytical predictions effectively. The study further examines the impact of the metal volume fraction, the metal strength factor between the metal layer and the composite material layer, the foam strength factor of the metal foam core to the composite material layer, and the foam density factor on the structural response. Findings reveal that these parameters influence the dynamic response of fiber-metal laminate (FML) sandwich beams to varying degrees. The developed analytical model demonstrates its capability to accurately forecast the dynamic behavior of fiber-metal laminate (FML) sandwich beams under uniform blast loading. The theoretical model in this article is a simplified model and cannot consider details such as damage, debonding, and the influence of layer angles in experiments. It is necessary to establish a refined theoretical model that can consider the microstructure and failure of composite materials in the future.