Analysis and design of recycled glass bead sandwich panels in bending

The bending resistance of recycled glass bead sandwich panels is investigated through flexural experiments conducted on a range of specimens. A method whereby the maximum strains at midspan are used to determine the elastic material properties is discussed and shown to provide similar results to a method based on midspan deflections; scopes of applicability of the two methods are discussed. The influences of adhesive strength, polymer content and previous damage are investigated, with the application of high-strength adhesive not leading to any improvement in structural performance whereas the increase in polymer content is shown to improve structural performance. Re-testing of previously damaged specimens demonstrates that residual compaction in the core leads to improved deformation capacity. A strain-based model to predict the ultimate moment resistance is shown to provide safe-sided results when compared to the experimental ultimate moments. A reliability analysis of the predictive model is conducted in accordance with the European structural design framework. For 1–2 mm bead cores, a partial factor of 1.40 is recommended for use with the design method, while a partial factor of 2.20 is recommended for 4–8 mm bead cores; it is confirmed that the design moment resistances are conservative and safe-sided when compared to the experimental results.