Global buckling of a sandwich column with metal foam core

The subject of the paper is about sandwich beam-column with a metal foam core. The global buckling phenomenon of an axially loaded member is investigated. Two analytical models of the beam-column are presented. In the first model, a classical one, the mechanical properties of the core are assumed to be linear. In the second model, the non-linear behaviour of the core is taken into account. Solutions of these two models are presented and the formulae for the critical loads are determined. The numerical finite element models of the beam-column are also elaborated and the linear buckling and the non-linear analyses are performed. The results of experimental tests on the aluminium sandwich beam-columns with aluminium foam core are described. Analytical, numerical finite element model and experimental values of the critical loads are compared.