Effect of cell shape of honeycomb structure on the toughness and bending
strength of the overall structure
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(i) Abstract
Using a strong structure to construct an object is crucial to prevent it from rupturing due to
external forces such as bending. Honeycomb structures are widely used in constructing
bridges and airplanes due to its well-known rigidity. However, there’s a lack of research on
the effects of shapes on the overall strength of the honeycomb structure as most research
focus on the materials used in manufacturing them. In contrast, our research objective is to
investigate which common shape, namely circle, triangle, trapezium, square and hexagon
could provide the best toughness and bending strength for the honeycomb structure. The five
shapes of honeycomb structure were created using vanguard sheets and were tested by
loading a number of weights onto the centre until it collapsed. Meanwhile, static loading
method was used to provide even weight distribution throughout the honeycomb structure.
The average length of deflection of the honeycomb structure when handling different loads
were measured and graphs were plotted. The gradient and the area bounded by the graphs
were analyzed to determine the shape’s effectiveness on the honeycomb structures. The
experiment results revealed that hexagon gave the best toughness and bending strength to the
honeycomb structure mainly because of tessellation and three other factors. Due to
limitations, other tests regarding real life applications of the honeycomb structure were
unable to be carried out. Further research can be done regarding shock loading and etcetera,
which are more related to real life situations. Our research could contribute to the
manufacturing industry in picking the best shape, in producing honeycomb structures for
further usage.
(ii) Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction ............................................................. 4 – 5
2.0 Methods and Materials ........................................... 6 – 7
2.1 Apparatus and Materials .......................................... 6
2.2 Construction of Honeycomb Structures ................... 6
2.3 Methodology ............................................................ 7
3.0 Results and Discussions ........................................ 8 – 14
4.0 Conclusion and Recommendations .................... 15 – 16
5.0 References ........................................................... 17 – 18
6.0 Appendix ............................................................ 19 – 24
6.1 Appendix A ............................................................ 19
6.2 Appendix B ............................................................. 20
6.3 Appendix C ............................................................. 21
6.4 Appendix D .................................................... 22 – 24
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1.0 Introduction
Honeycomb structure attained its name due to its resemblance to the bee hives (Blitzer,
1997). It commonly refers to a structure...
