Experimental investigation into the axial plastic collapse of steel thin-walled grooved tubes

Abstract

Experimental investigations were conducted into the quasi-static collapse and energy absorption characteristics of thin-walled steel tubes containing a number of geometrical discontinuities in the form of grooves of constant depth and axial length. The failure modes and load-deflection characteristics are discussed and compared with the corresponding theoretical values. An inextensional collapse mechanism is used to describe a non-symmetrical diamond mode shell folding which takes into account the concept of stationary circumferential and inclinded travelling hinges.