The Dynamic and Static Axial Crushing of Axially Stiffened Square Tubes — A Comparison Between Numerical and Experimental Results

The introduction of stiffeners to thin-walled components, such as thin-walled tubes is known to improve the strength of light-weight structures. The plastic buckling and collapse characteristics under dynamic axial loading are complex and require a deep understanding prior to design analyses. In this study, the finite-element method is used to analyse axially stiffened thin-walled tubes with square cross-sections under axial impact. A commercially available finite-element package (ABAQUS) has been used to analyse the dynamic plastic response of thin-walled stiffened tubes and to examine the influence of stiffener geometry, location and number. A qualitative comparison between computed and experimental results is made and discussed.