Steel foam for structures: A review of applications, manufacturing and material properties

The objective of this paper is to provide a state-of-the-art review for the structural application, manufacturing, material properties, and modeling of a new material: steel foam. Foamed steel includes air voids in the material microstructure and as a result introduces density as a new design variable in steel material selection. By controlling density the engineering properties of steel components may be altered significantly: improvement in the weight-to-stiffness ratio is particularly pronounced, as is the available energy dissipation and thermal resistivity. Full-scale applications of steel foams in civil structures have not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, existing applications demonstrating either proof-of-concept for steel foam, or full-scale use of aluminum foams in situations with clear civil/structural analogs are highlighted. Adoption of steel foam relies on the manufacturing method, particularly its cost, and the resulting properties of the steel foam. Therefore, published methods for producing steel foam are summarized, along with measurements of steel foam structural (modulus, yield stress, etc.) and non-structural (thermal conductivity, acoustic absorption, etc.) properties. Finally, existing models for predicting foamed steel material properties are summarized to highlight the central role of material density. Taken in total the existing research demonstrates the viability of steel foams for use in civil/structural applications, while also pointing to areas where further research work is required. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Local buckling strength of steel foam sandwich panels

The objective of this paper is to provide and verify a new design method for the in-plane compressive strength of steel sandwich panels comprised of steel face sheets and foamed steel cores. Foamed steel, literally steel with internal voids, provides enhanced bending rigidity, exceptional energy dissipation, and the potential to mitigate local instability. In this work, Winters effective width expression is generalized to the case of steel foam sandwich panels. The generalization requires modification of the elastic buckling expressions to account for panel non-composite bending rigidity and shear deformations. In addition, an equivalent yield stress is introduced to provide a single parameter description of the yielding behavior of the steel face sheets and steel foam core. The provided analytical expressions are verified with finite element simulations employing three-dimensional continuum elements and calibrated constitutive models specific to metallic foams. The developed closed-form design expressions are employed to conduct parametric studies of steel foam sandwich panels, which (a) demonstrate the significant strength improvements possible when compared with solid steel, and (b) provide insights on the optimal balance between steel face sheet thickness and density of the foamed steel core. This work is part of a larger effort to help develop steel foam as a material with relevance to civil engineering applications. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Steel foam for structures: A review of applications, manufacturing and material properties

The objective of this paper is to provide a state-of-the-art review for the structural application, manufacturing, material properties, and modeling of a new material: steel foam. Foamed steel includes air voids in the material microstructure and as a result introduces density as a new design variable in steel material selection. By controlling density the engineering properties of steel components may be altered significantly: improvement in the weight-to-stiffness ratio is particularly pronounced, as is the available energy dissipation and thermal resistivity. Full-scale applications of steel foams in civil structures have not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, existing applications demonstrating either proof-of-concept for steel foam, or full-scale use of aluminum foams in situations with clear civil/structural analogs are highlighted. Adoption of steel foam relies on the manufacturing method, particularly its cost, and the resulting properties of the steel foam. Therefore, published methods for producing steel foam are summarized, along with measurements of steel foam structural (modulus, yield stress, etc.) and non-structural (thermal conductivity, acoustic absorption, etc.) properties. Finally, existing models for predicting foamed steel material properties are summarized to highlight the central role of material density. Taken in total the existing research demonstrates the viability of steel foams for use in civil/structural applications, while also pointing to areas where further research work is required. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved