Improved strategies for the load-bearing capacity of aluminum-PVC foam sandwich floors of a high-speed train

For high-speed trains (HSTs), interface failures often occur in their aluminum-PVC foam sandwich floor, the service life of which can affect the maintenance economy significantly. In this study, a floor model considering crushable foam layer and cohesive element was implemented to validate its bending behavior, with which the load-bearing capacity of actual floor structures under different loading conditions was analyzed. Accordingly, two strategies were presented for improving the load-bearing capacity of the floor: adding grid stiffened ribs on the aluminum layer and adjusting the layout of the supporting seats appropriately. The numerical simulation results indicated that the position of the maximum stress concentration was on the edge of the floor foam layer, and the limits of the load-bearing capacity were 50 and 575 kPa with respect to two operation conditions. By varying the supporting seats with different layouts or adding reinforced structures, the maximum stress and deflection in the critical zones were reduced significantly compared with those of the original design.