Experimental studies on flexural performance of adherence flush joints for composite sandwich structures

Experimental studies on flexural performance of adherence shaped steel joints for composite sandwich plates were carried out, including load-deformation behavior, strain development and failure modes. The I-shaped steels used for adherence joints have 3 different inside declining angles, whose effects on joint strength were studied. The tests show that the adherence joints can satisfy the loading-capacity requirement corresponding to the deformation limit of building structures, and be applied to paulownia wood core composite sandwich structures. The effect of inside declining angle on connecting strength was slight. The deformation behavior, failure mode and effect factors on strength were discussed. The results could be referred to for design and application of adherence shaped steel joint for composite sandwich plates.