Deformation response of EPS foam under combined compression-shear loading. Part I: Experimental design and quasi-static tests

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam material is widely used as an energy absorption engineering material. Its compression behaviour, both quasi-statically and dynamically, has been studied widely. However, its mechanical behaviour under combined compression-shear loading is poorly understood due to the difficulty of performing such tests. A novel test rig is presented to perform combined compression-shear loading tests in quasi-static and high...