“Committee D30 has published standards for damage resistance testing of composite laminates, namely ASTM D6264 and ASTM D7136, but does not have analogous standards for sandwich constructions, which are a common composite structural configuration,” says Adam Sawicki of Boeing, and vice chairman of D30. “There are no industry standards for such testing either.” Sawicki notes that ASTM D6264 / D6264M, Test Method for Measuring the Damage Resistance of a Fiber-Reinforced Polymer-Matrix Composite to a Concentrated Quasi-Static Indentation Force, and ASTM D7136 / D7136M, Test Method for Measuring the Damage Resistance of a Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composite to a Drop-Weight Impact Event, are not strictly applicable to sandwich constructions as there are differences in damage modes, inspection methods and other aspects that must be considered. WK30231 is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee D30.09 on Sandwich Construction, part of ASTM International Committee D30 on Composite Materials. Sawicki says that ASTM WK30231 will provide instructions for modifying the test methods in ASTM D6264 / D6264M and ASTM D7136 / D7136M to determine damage resistance properties of sandwich constructions. “The properties are required to design sandwich constructions, to demonstrate the structure is sufficiently durable and exhibits no damage or limited damage under specific damage-producing events in service.” Interested parties are welcome to join in the development of ASTM WK30231.
