Behavior of folding sandwich panel structures: Impact of ground conditions, anchorage, and panel warping

Rapidly erectable, folding structures comprised of sandwich panels offer light-weight, energy efficient sheltering solutions. Field implementation requires better understanding of the impact of the erection conditions and fabrication errors on behavior, including (1) out-of-level ground conditions, (2) number/location of ground anchors, and (3) fabrication-related warping of panels. This paper investigates the behavior of a folding sandwich panel (fiber-reinforced polymer faces and foam core) structure using an experimentally validated finite element model to perform parametric studies that focus on variable out-of-level ground conditions, anchorages, and panel warping. Ultimately, this paper addresses research gaps required for field implementation and provides design recommendations.