EDGEWISE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF
SANDWICH CONSTRUCTIONS  (ASTM C 364)

Model CU-EC  (low carbon steel)
Model WTF-EC  (17-4PH stainless)

Per ASTM C 364 (Reference 1), the sandwich panel specimen to be edge-loaded is rectangular, with a width of at least 2” (but not less than twice the panel thickness), with an unsupported length not greater than eight times the panel thickness.  This specimen is lightly clamped at top and bottom in the fixture shown below.  The clamping bars shown are ½” high.  ASTM C 364 requires that these bars be not less than ¼” high.  The lateral support provided by the clamping bars is to minimize separation of the face sheets from the core of the specimen at the ends.

Edge Compression Test Fixture

 The sandwich column being tested usually fails by some mode of local buckling, such as wrinkling of the face sheets.  It is the face sheet compressive stress that is to be determined.  It is calculated as the applied force at failure divided by the total cross-sectional area of both face sheets.

Source of Additional Information:

1)     1)  ASTM Standard C 364-99 (1999) "Standard Test Method for Edgewise Compressive Strength of Sandwich Constructions,” American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania (first published in 1955).