STRESS PROFILES IN THIN-WALLED PRISMATIC COLUMNS SUBJECTED TO CRUSH LOADING .1. COMPRESSION

A simple computational model of sheet metal columns subjected to crush loading is developed, The model is based on the concept of a superfol ding element originally proposed by Abramowicz and Wierzbicki to calcu late a mean crushing force and energy absorption of multi-cornered pri smatic columns. This concept is further developed to study local distr ibution of stresses at a given cross-section of the column. Precise nu merical calculations were also performed for mild steel square columns with three different width-to-thickness ratios using an implicit fini te element ABAQUS (with very small mesh size). A comparison of the ana lytical and numerical results showed a good agreement of both solution s in terms of the evolution of stress profiles and force-deflection ch aracteristics. A concept of a scaling factor emerged from both analyti cal and numerical solutions. The results of the paper can be applied i n the development of simplified calculations of bending characteristic s of columns from known compressive characteristics. This is the subje ct of a companion paper.