AN ANALYSIS OF AXIAL CRUSHING OF COMPOSITE TUBES

Composite tubes of different D/t and H/D ratios and made of glass wove n mats with epoxy resin, were tested under axial compression. The crus hing mode and the energy absorbing capacity of these tubes were studie d. Some of the tubes were filled with foam before testing, and the eff ect of the infill foam on the failure mode and the energy absorbing ca pacity of the tubes is discussed. The variation of the tube crush zone length (length crushed in single crush cycle) with variation in its D /t ratio is studied. An analysis has been carried out to find the aver age crush stress and the length crushed in each cycle of the crushing process when a tube is squashed between two platens. The results thus obtained have been compared with the experimental results.