Eccentricity Effects on the Crushing History and Energy Absorption of Metal Tubes Collapsed in Concertina Mode

The classical problem of a round metal tube collapsing in concertina mode when subjected to axial compressive loading has been reexamined both theoretically and experimentally. The model including an eccentricity factor proposed by Wierzbicki et al. and modified by Singace et al. has been taken one step further to obtain the real load-displacement history and to investigate eccentricity effects. The influence of the eccentricity parameter m on the mean crushing load was discussed according to the present analysis. Experiments were carried out to verify the eccentricity effects. The results show that experimental and theoretical load-displacement curves match perfectly, especially in terms of half wavelength. Unlike previous researchs, the results suggest that m is not a fixed value and may affect energy absorption.