Structural and thermal performance of a novel form of cladding panel: the I-beam beetle elytron plate

To develop a non-bearing prefabricated straw sandwich concrete wallboard (I-beam beetle elytron plate: IBEPsc), the effect of certain structural parameters (e.g. panel thickness, T, number of I-cores, N, and core height, h) on mechanical and thermal insulation performance was investigated using the finite-element method, with the following results. (a) Bearing capacity of the IBEPsc is controlled by the maximum principal tensile stress; the optimal structural parameters of the IBEPsc for a self-insulated wall with a large safety margin are presented. (b) The consideration of strips as opposed to whole plates and the selected upper bearing constraint type have little influence on the mechanical properties. In practical applications, the strips and whole plates can be reasonably selected according to engineering needs, and these components can be connected with the main structure by conventional mortar. (c) According to qualitative analysis and comparison with common I-shaped thermal insulation walls, the IBEPsc requires the least material and weight while ensuring a sufficient safety margin in terms of mechanical and thermal insulation performance. Hence, biomimetic techniques can play a key role in breaking through the limitations of traditional structures. This paper can help direct the application of beetle elytron plates in prefabricated wallboards.