THE ENERGY ABSORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF DOUBLE-CELL TUBULAR PROFILES

Abstract

THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTAL WORK ON THE CRUSHING CHARACTERISTICS OF SINGLE-CELL AND DOUBLE-CELL MILD STEEL PROFILES WITH DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS AND CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE. THE ENERGY ABSORPTION CHARACTERISTICS AND MODE OF COLLAPSE OF SEVEN DOUBLE-CELL PROFILES CONTAINING SQUARE AND/OR CIRCULAR TUBES IS INVESTIGATED WITH A VIEW TO FINDING THE CELL COMBINATION WITH THE HIGHEST ENERGY ABSORPTION CHARACTERISTICS. DOUBLE-CELL PROFILES MADE WITH CIRCULAR TUBES HAVE HIGHER ENERGY ABSORPTION EFICIENCIES THAN THOSE MADE WITH SQUARE TUBES. EQUIVALENT SINGLE-CELL CIRCULAR TUBE CAN BE MORE EFICIENT THAN THE DOUBLE-CELL TUBE DEPENDING ON THE LOADING CONDITIONS. FOR ALL THE CONFIGURATIONS, THE MODE OF COLLAPSE OF THE DOUBLE-CELL PROFILE IS INITIALLY DOMINATED BY THE OUTER TUBE. IN SOME CON¯GURATIONS AFTER THE INITIAL COLLAPSE, THE INNER TUBE CRUSHING MODE BECOMES MORE DOMINANT; RESULTING IN EULER COLLAPSE MODE.