Effect of geometrical variations on the structural performance of shipping container panels: A parametric study towards a new alternative design

Abstract

In the field of logistics, containers are indispensable for shipments of large quantities of goods, particularly for exports and imports distributed by land, sea, or air. Therefore, a container must be able to withstand external loads so that goods can safely reach their destination. In this study, seven different models of container skins were developed: general honeycomb, cross honeycomb, square honeycomb, corrugated wall, flat, flat with a single stiffener, and flat with a cross stiffener. Testing was performed using the finite element method. In the static simulation, the best results were obtained by the model with corrugated walls. As the main element and the content of the sandwich panel structure, the core plays a role in increasing the ability of the structure to absorb force, thereby increasing the strength of the material. In the thermal simulation, the best results were obtained by the general honeycomb walls. Vibration simulations also showed that the square honeycomb design was better at absorbing vibration than the other models. Finally, the corrugated model had the best critical load value in the buckling simulation.

Keywords

• shipping container
• finite element method
• buckling analysis
• thermal characteristic
• vibration behavior