Numerical Simulation of Axial Crushing of Circular Tubes

Abstract

Results are reported for both an experimental study and a finite element analysis of elastic-plastic circular steel tubes subjected to quasi-static axial impact loadings. Details of the deformation processes are examined using 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional FE models. Typical histories of deformation of single and parallel steel tubes and their load-compression curves are. presented. Good agreement is reported between the FE force histories of tubes with those obtained experimentally. Using the 3-D model, O/t of 82, the tube deformation transforms from concertina mode to diamond mode, whereas the 2-D model deforms in a concertina mode for all values of Olt ratio. For parallel tubes, it is shown that load-carrying capacity is apparently not equal to the. sum of the load-carrying capacities of each tube acting alone