In this paper, quasi-static crushing tests of composite circular tubes under axial compression load are conducted to investigate the energy absorption characteristics. Circular tubes used for this experiment are glass/epoxy (GFRP) composite tubes, w...
In this paper, quasi-static crushing tests of composite circular tubes under axial compression load are conducted to investigate the energy absorption characteristics. Circular tubes used for this experiment are glass/epoxy (GFRP) composite tubes, which is fabricated by the filament winding method. One edge of the composite tube is chamfered to reduce the initial peak load and to prevent catastrophic failure during crushing process. Two suggested trigger mechanisms for the composite tubes are investigated. Crushing modes are mainly affected by thickness/diameter ratio, and average crushing loads are mainly affected by their cross-sections. Energy absorption characteristics vary significantly as a function of the tube geometry, trigger mechanism, t/D ratio and the cross-sectional shape.