Development and analysis of composite car deck structures

Paper in proceeding, 2012

This study discusses the subjects of the joining of and lashing in a composite car deck structure. Systems engineering methods were used to develop concepts for the joining of and lashing in a predetermined composite car deck section. Conceptual designs were evaluated by means of finite element analyses with respect to stakeholder-defined criteria, such as strength and the maximum allowed deflection during loading. The evaluation and analyses resulted in a composite car deck design composed of a glass fibre-reinforced plastic sandwich with balsa core material. The core has chamfered edges for easy assembly and disassembly by screws through single laminate edges. For the lashing of cars, metal inserts in prefabricated holes were proposed.