Soft impact behavior of composite I-beams

As the increasing requirement of high-strength and lightweight structure in engineering applications, thin-wall I-section beams made of composite materials have drawn much attention in recent years. This paper made an effort to reveal the dynamic behavior of composite I-beams under soft impact. I-beam specimens were manufactured through resin transfer molding and then struck by aluminum foam projectiles. Numerical models were subsequently built up and verified through comparison of deflection and failure types with test results. After modification of the models with more reasonable construction method, parametric study was carried out and structure with the optimal dimensions was chosen. The I-beam was further optimized through adding polyurethane foam in the web. It was proved that the introduction of foam core with proper thickness will prevent buckling of the web and reduce the damage occurred during soft impacts.