Concrete sandwich panels (CSPs) are increasingly used in energy-efficient building envelopes due to their ability to combine structural load-bearing capacity with thermal insulation. This review provides an integrated assessment of recent advances (2018-2025) in the thermal and mechanical performance of CSPs, with particular emphasis on the trade-off between structural efficiency and thermal performance. The literature indicates a transition from traditional steel connectors, which induce significant thermal bridging, to low-conductivity fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) connectors and optimized geometrical configurations. These developments, together with advanced insulation materials, have improved overall panel efficiency. However, mechanical performance remains strongly dependent on the degree of composite action, governed by connector stiffness, spacing, and configuration. A key finding of this review is the persistent conflict between mechanical and thermal requirements, where increased structural stiffness may lead to higher thermal-induced stresses and deformation. In addition, current research largely treats thermal and mechanical behaviors separately, with limited consideration of fully coupled thermo-mechanical interactions. Durability aspects, including moisture ingress, freeze-thaw effects, and long-term connector performance, are also insufficiently addressed. This review synthesizes current knowledge, highlights inconsistencies in experimental and modeling approaches, and identifies critical research gaps. Future studies should focus on integrated multi-physics modeling and full-scale experimental validation to improve the long-term performance and reliability of CSP systems.
Jawdhari, A. and Fam, A. (2020) Thermal-Structural Analysis and Thermal Bowing of Double Wythe UHPC Insulated Walls. Energy and Buildings , 223, Article 110012.
Jawdhari, A., Fam, A. and Kadhim, M.M.A. (2022) Thermal Bowing of Reinforced Concrete Sandwich Panels Using Time-Domain Coupled-Field Finite Element Analysis. Engineering Structures , 252, Article 113592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.113592
Upasiri, I.R., Konthesigha, K.M.C., Nanayakkara, S.M.A., Poologanathan, K., Gatheeshgar, P. and Nuwanthika, D. (2021) Finite Element Analysis of Lightweight Composite Sandwich Panels Exposed to Fire. Journal of Building Engineering , 40, Article 102329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2021.102329
Pan, P., He, Z., Wang, H. and Kang, Y. (2022) Experimental Investigation of C-Shaped Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Connectors for Sandwich Insulation Wall Panels. Engineering Structures , 250, Article 113462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.113462
Yang, Y., Ge, Z., Li, Y. and Fan, X. (2022) Investigation on Mechanical Properties of Lightweight Sandwich Exterior Wall with Thermal Blocking Shear Connector. Structures , 46, 421-432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2022.10.064
O’Hegarty, R., Kinnane, O., Grimes, M., Newell, J., Clifford, M. and West, R. (2021) Development of Thin Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels: Challenges and Outcomes. Construction and Building Materials , 267, Article 120981. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120981
Li, G., Li, X., Fang, C. and Liu, R. (2025) Thermal Performance of Precast Concrete Sandwich Walls with a Double-Layer Insulation System. Construction and Building Materials , 472, Article 140785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2025.140785
An, Y., Huang, W., Quan, W., Guo, Q., Miao, X. and Wang, M. (2025) Study on the Shear Performance of GFRP Ultra-Long Two-Way Connectors for Precast Concrete Sandwich Walls. Structures , 71, Article 107962. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2024.107962
Chen, Y., Kang, C., Wu, Y. and Qian, Z. (2022) Bending Performance of Precast Ceramsite-Concrete-Insulated Sandwich Panel with Stainless Steel Shear Connectors. Buildings , 12, Article 1640. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101640
Pozo-Lora, F. and Maguire, M. (2020) Thermal Bowing of Concrete Sandwich Panels with Flexible Shear Connectors. Journal of Building Engineering , 29, Article 101124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2019.101124
Kinnane, O., West, R. and Hegarty, R.O. (2020) Structural Shear Performance of Insulated Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels with Steel Plate Connectors. Engineering Structures , 215, Article 110691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.110691
Arevalo, S. and Tomlinson, D. (2020) Experimental Thermal Bowing Response of Precast Concrete Insulated Wall Panels with Stiff Shear Connectors and Simple Supports. Journal of Building Engineering , 30, Article 101319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2020.101319
Tawil, H., Tan, C.G., Sulong, N.H.R., Nazri, F.M., Sherif, M.M. and El-Shafie, A. (2022) Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Composite Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels: A Review. Buildings , 12, Article 1429. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12091429
Sah, T.P., Lacey, A.W., Hao, H. and Chen, W. (2024) Prefabricated Concrete Sandwich and Other Lightweight Wall Panels for Sustainable Building Construction: State-of-the-Art Review. Journal of Building Engineering , 89, Article 109391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.109391
Pozo-Lora, F.F., Sorensen, T.J., Al-Rubaye, S. and Maguire, M. (2025) State-of-the-Art and Practice Review in Concrete Sandwich Wall Panels: Materials, Design, and Construction Methods. Sustainability , 17, Article 3704. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083704
Bida, S.M., Abdul Aziz, F.N.A., Jaafar, M.S., Hejazi, F. and Abu Bakar, N. (2021) Thermal Resistance of Insulated Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels. International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials , 15, Article No. 41. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40069-021-00477-6
Yu, S., Liu, Y., Wang, D., Ma, C. and Liu, J. (2022) Theoretical, Experimental and Numerical Study on the Influence of Connectors on the Thermal Performance of Precast Concrete Sandwich Walls. Journal of Building Engineering , 57, Article 104886. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2022.104886
Chen, J., Hamed, E. and Gilbert, R.I. (2021) Structural Performance of Concrete Sandwich Panels under Fire. Fire Safety Journal , 121, Article 103293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2021.103293
Huang, J., Jiang, Q., Chong, X., Ye, X. and Wang, D. (2020) Experimental Study on Precast Concrete Sandwich Panel with Cross-Shaped GFRP Connectors. Magazine of Concrete Research , 72, 149-162. https://doi.org/10.1680/jmacr.18.00258
Bian, Y. and Liu, Y. (2024) In-Plane Shear Performance and Damage Evolution of FRP Connectors for Composite Sandwich Panels. Engineering Structures , 314, Article 118326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2024.118326
O′Hegarty, R., West, R., Reilly, A. and Kinnane, O. (2019) Composite Behaviour of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete Sandwich Panels with FRP Shear Connectors. Engineering Structures , 198, Article 109475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2019.109475
Sah, T.P., Lacey, A.W., Hao, H., Manalo, A. and Chen, W. (2025) Flexural Performance of Composite Prefabricated Concrete Sandwich Panels with Pultruded Square GFRP Tubular Shear Connectors. Structures , 78, Article 109287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2025.109287
Choi, W., Jang, S. and Yun, H. (2019) Design Properties of Insulated Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels with Composite Shear Connectors. Composites Part B : Engineering , 157, 36-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2018.08.081
Yang, Q., Wu, X., Li, J. and Wang, M. (2025) Optimization Study of Thermal Defects in Prefabricated Rural Residential Buildings Based on Fluent. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering , 75, Article 107120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2025.107120
Zhang, Z., Hou, Y. and Wang, Y. (2025) Research on Thermal Performance of Polypropylene Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Wall Panels. Buildings , 15, Article 2199. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15132199
Hassan, A., Rashid, Y., Mourad, A.I., Ismail, N. and Laghari, M.S. (2019) Thermal and Structural Characterization of Geopolymer-Coated Polyurethane Foam—Phase Change Material Capsules/Geopolymer Concrete Composites. Materials , 12, Article 796. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12050796
Martínez, B., Mercedes, L., Bernat-Maso, E. and Gil, L. (2025) Sustainable Reinforcement Strategy for Green Insulation Panels: Evaluation of Hemp Mesh Geometry and Natural Coatings. Journal of Building Engineering , 112, Article 113803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2025.113803
Thangarasu, A. and Henderson, J.H. (2022) Thermal and Structural Behaviour of Sandwiched Reinforced Cement Concrete Wall Panels. Materials Science , 28, 506-518. https://doi.org/10.5755/j02.ms.30339
Su, B., Zhang, T., Chen, S., Hao, J. and Zhang, R. (2022) Thermal Properties of Novel Sandwich Roof Panel Made of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Plastic Material. Journal of Building Engineering , 52, Article 104478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2022.104478
Chen, D., Li, K., Yuan, Z., Cheng, B. and Kang, X. (2022) Shear Behavior of FRP Connectors in Precast Sandwich Insulation Wall Panels. Buildings , 12, Article 1095. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12081095
Du, E., Shu, G., Qin, L., Lai, B., Zhou, X. and Zhou, G. (2022) Experimental Investigation on Fire Resistance of Sandwich Composite Walls with Truss Connectors. Jour nal of Constructional Steel Research , 188, Article 107052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2021.107052
Tawil, H., Tan, C.G., Ramli Sulong, N.H., Nazri, F.M., Shamsudin, M.F. and Muhamad Bunnori, N. (2024) Optimization of Shear Resistance in Precast Concrete Sandwich Wall Panels Using an S-Type Shear Connector. Buildings , 14, Article 1725. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061725
Sylaj, V., Fam, A., Hachborn, M. and Burak, R. (2020) Flexural Response of Double-Wythe Insulated Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Panels with Low to Moderate Composite Action. PCI Journal , 65, 24-40. https://doi.org/10.15554/pcij65.1-01
Haffke, M., Pahn, M., Thiele, C. and Grzesiak, S. (2022) Experimental Investigation of Concrete Sandwich Walls with Glass-Fiber-Composite Connectors Exposed to Fire and Mechanical Loading. Applied Sciences , 12, Article 3872. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083872
Yang, Y., Ge, Z., Li, Y., Xiong, Y. and Yuan, Q. (2023) Study on Impact Resistance of Precast Light-Weight Concrete Sandwich Panels. Structures , 47, 966-975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2022.11.112
Awan, A.B. and Shaikh, F.U.A. (2021) Structural Behavior of Recycled Tire Crumb Rubber Sandwich Panel in Flexural Bending. Structural Concrete , 22, 3602-3619. https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.202100356
Lameiras, R., Valente, I.B., Barros, J.A.O., Azenha, M. and Gonçalves, C. (2018) Pull-Out Behaviour of Glass-Fibre Reinforced Polymer Perforated Plate Connectors Embedded in Concrete. Part I: Experimental Program. Construction and Building Materials , 162, 155-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.12.021
Ke, L., Wu, X., Yan, B., Li, W. and Li, Y. (2024) Flexural Performance of UHPC Sandwich Panels with UHPC-Filled Stainless Steel Pipe Shear Connectors. Structures , 70, Article 107721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2024.107721
Zhao, B., Du, L., Chen, G., Yue, L., Cui, C. and Ge, M. (2024) Experimental and Numerical Study on the Shear Performance of Stainless Steel-GFRP Connectors for Use in Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels. Scientific Reports , 14, Article No. 13814. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64543-1
Ke, L., Zhang, Y., Yan, B., Wu, X., Li, W. and Zhou, C. (2025) Full-Scale Experimental Study on Shear Performance of UHPC Sandwich Panels with UHPC-Filled Stainless Steel Pipe Shear Connectors. Structures , 78, Article 109395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2025.109395
Fahmy, M., Attia, W., Al-Kader A Al Sayed, A. and Ibrahim, H. (2024) Shear Performance of X and Z Configuration Wythe Ties for Insulated Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels Using Different FRP Materials. Journal of Building Engineering , 85, Article 108701. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.108701
Cheng, N., Tang, J., Feng, P., Hao, Z., Zhang, Y. and Chang, M. (2024) Experimental and Theoretical Study on Flexural Performance of Light-Weight Sandwich Panels Using FRP Connectors. Case Studies in Construction Materials , 21, e03947.
Annaba, K., El Wardi, F.Z., Ibaaz, K., Bouyahyaoui, A., Cherkaoui, M., Ouaki, B., et al . (2022) Thermomechanical Characterization and Thermal Simulation of a New Multilayer Mortar and a Light-Weight Pozzolanic Concrete for Building Energy Efficiency. Construction and Building Materials , 346, Article 128479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.128479
Egbon, B. and Tomlinson, D. (2021) Experimental Investigation of Longitudinal Shear Transfer in Insulated Concrete Wall Panels with Notched Insulation. Journal of Building Engineering , 43, Article 103173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2021.103173
Ding, R., Sun, Y., Fan, J. and Chen, D. (2022) Experimental and Theoretical Study on Flexural Behaviour of a New UHPC Sandwich Slab. Engineering Structures , 267, Article 114673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2022.114673
Huang, Q., Hamed, E. and Gilbert, R.I. (2020) Early-Age Shrinkage Effects in Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels. PCI Journal , 65, 74-88. https://doi.org/10.15554/pcij65.1-04
Xue, W., Li, Y., Fu, K., Hu, X. and Li, Y. (2020) Accelerated Ageing Test and Durability Prediction Model for Mechanical Properties of GFRP Connectors in Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels. Construction and Building Materials , 237, Article 117632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.117632
Lameiras, R., Barros, J.A.O., Valente, I.B., Poletti, E., Azevedo, M. and Azenha, M. (2021) Seismic Behaviour of Precast Sandwich Wall Panels of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete Layers and Fibre Reinforced Polymer Connectors. Engineering Structures , 237, Article 112149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.112149