Behaviour of axially crushed corrugated tubes

The energy absorption characteristics of corrugated tubes are experimentally studied. The corrugations are introduced in the tube to force the plastic deformation to occur at predetermined intervals along the tube generator. The. aims are to improve the uniformity of the load-displacement behaviour of axially crushed tubes, predict and control the mode of collapse in each corrugation in order to optimize the energy absorption capacity of the tube. Effect of heat treatment and foam filling of these tubes are also considered. Metal tubes are mostly used throughout this study, however, PVC tubes are also considered for comparison purposes. The experimental results of crushing of the corrugated tubes make these tubes a good candidate for a controllable energy absorption element. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.