Accurate modeling of foam-core sandwich beams is complicated by strong stiffness contrasts, geometric asymmetry, and the bimodular behavior of polymeric foams. Existing theories improve upon classical models but often exhibit interfacial stress discontinuities, high computational demand, or the inability to capture thickness-stretching effects. This work proposes a generalized layerwise normal–shear deformation theory (GL-NSDT) that overcomes these limitations. The framework (i) enforces interfacial shear-stress continuity, (ii) satisfies traction-free boundary conditions, (iii) incorporates foam bimodularity through a Heaviside-based constitutive law, and (iv) explicitly accounts for thickness stretching. Importantly, it reduces the number of kinematic unknowns from to only three generalized displacement variables, achieving near-3D accuracy while retaining the computational efficiency of equivalent single-layer theories. Validation through quasi-static three-point bending tests and detailed finite element simulations confirms the model’s accuracy. Across conventional, foam-only, and functionally graded PMI-core beams, GL-NSDT reliably reproduces global load–deflection behavior and local stress transfer, reducing stiffness prediction errors by nearly an order of magnitude relative to conventional HSDTs. These results establish GL-NSDT as an efficient and physically consistent analytical tool for the design and assessment of advanced sandwich structures with complex cores and material asymmetry.
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