The thesis deals with the design of sandwich panels consisting of steel sheets on the faces and thermal insulation in the core of the panel. The first part of the thesis describes the rules and constraints set out in EN 1993-7. The first chapters concern the proper consideration of the different possible actions on the structure, material safety factors and the influence of material creep in the core. The properties of the materials used in the panels are also described and the equations for calculating the appropriate plate thicknesses are given. Chapter 4 explains in more detail the assumed stress behaviour characteristic of steel sandwich panels. The effects of differently profiled sheets on the section stress behaviour are also taken into account. Equations for the determination of the normal and shear stresses, depending on the profile of the steel sheet, are given. Various peculiarities which may occur in sandwich panels, such as openings or the influence of concentrated and linear loads, are also described. Chapter 5 deals with the limitations of the standard for the design of panels in the ultimate limit state. The verifications and limits to be observed to ensure the safety of the sandwich panels are described. The risk of buckling of panels in compression and the influence of second order theory are also specifically addressed. Chapter 6 also describes additional limitations of the serviceability limit state. In the final part of the thesis, a worked example of a uniformly loaded and simply supported panel is presented that follows all the design rules described in the previous chapters.
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