Dynamic response of anisotropic sandwich flat panels to underwater and in-air explosions

The problem of the dynamic response of flat rectangular sandwich panels subjected to underwater and in-air explosions is analyzed. The study is carried out in the framework of a geometrically non-linear model of sandwich structures featuring anisotropic laminated face sheets and an orthotropic core, in conjunction with the unsteady pressure generated by an explosion. Effects of the core and of the orthotropy of its material, as well as those related to the ply-thickness, directional material property and stacking sequence of face sheets, geometrical non-linearities and of the structural damping ratio are investigated, and their implications upon the dynamic response are highlighted. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the specialized literature addressing the dynamic response of sandwich structures to underwater and in-air explosions is rather scanty. This work is likely to fill a gap in the specialized literature on this topic. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.