Analytical study on impact responses of SCS panel with energy absorber

The impact resistant performance of a novel steel-concrete-steel (SCS) panel with energy absorber (SPEA) was investigated by performing impact tests, from which two types of failure modes were categorized based on the crushing magnitudes of energy absorber. The sandwich panel subjected to impact load exhibits both global and local deformation. During the crushing process of energy absorber, the rotation of plastic hinges of steel plate and the compression of aluminum foam blocks were observed. Additionally, the influences of steel plate thickness of energy absorber and impact momentum on the dynamic responses of SPEA were investigated. The results indicated that there was an optimum steel plate thickness of energy absorber resulting in improved impact resistance of SPEA. The SPEA exhibited better impact resistant performance under higher impact momentum. Based on the experimentally obtained dynamic response characteristics of SPEA, an equivalent 3DOF model was developed to predict the impact responses of SPEA, and the accuracy of the model was validated via comparing the predictions with impact test results. • A novel steel-concrete-steel panel with energy absorber (SPEA) was proposed. • The SPEA showed global and local deformations under impact load. • An analytical model was proposed to predict impact response of the SPEA. • The energy absorption characteristics of SPEA were obtained through analytical study.