Effects of core splice joint width on the performance of composite sandwich structures with honeycomb core: An experimental study

Abstract

Composite sandwich structures are commonly considered in large-scale aerospace applications due to their performance on a per mass basis. The nature of a large-scale sandwich structure generally necessitates the use of multiple sections of core to fill out the structural form. These core sections must be spliced together to ensure that shear loads are appropriately transmitted throughout the core. Because core installation in a large-scale component is a challenging operation, core splice joint width can be difficult to control in manufacturing. As such, the effects of core splice joint width on sandwich structure performance should be well understood. This study examines the effects of core splice joint width in honeycomb sandwich structures via mechanical testing and post-failure analysis. A threshold core splice joint width is shown to exist with respect to core shear, while the integrity of the facesheet-to-core interface is shown to degrade with increasing core splice joint width.