COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF SANDWICH PANELS OF PLASTER REINFORCED WITH FIBREGLASS

Plaster is a binder used in diverse applications in civil construction. It is a material with low cost, lightweight, and easy to mould, allowing a good finishing surface and presenting resistance to high temperatures. However, the brittle behaviour and low tenacity limit its use. Aiming to expand the field of application of that material, this work studies the mechanical behaviour of sandwich panels consisting of two faces of plaster reinforced with fibreglass fabrics and a core of extruded polystyrene foam. Using software based on the finite element method, computational models were elaborated simulating the four-point bending test.