Load-carrying and energy-absorbing performance of honeycombs with different cross sections under cyclic loading

Abstract

Honeycombs, characterized by advantages including large compressive deformation and controllable deformation, have been widely used in energy-absorbing components. The loading process of honeycombs is generally influenced by recovery after unloading in application environments. Expounding the load-carrying and energy-absorbing performance of honeycombs under cyclic loading is critical for the practical engineering application of honeycombs. Honeycombs with four different cross sections were selected to compare their deformation process and load-carrying performance under cyclic loading by conducting quasi-static compression tests and displacement-controlled cyclic loading and unloading tests. On this basis, influences of the cyclic loading on the energy-absorbing performance of honeycombs were revealed. It is shown that cyclic loading does not change the four-stage characteristics of the displacement-force curve of honeycombs while to some extent influences the load-carrying capacity of honeycombs. Under cyclic loading, the honeycombs have larger plateau force and plateau force efficiency and exhibit better stable load-carrying capacity and uniformity. Moreover, evaluation of the energy-absorbing performance of honeycombs based on the total energy absorption index has some limitations, which takes the energy absorption of structures in each stage into account. In view of this, the effective energy absorption was proposed to accurately evaluate the energy-absorbing performance of honeycombs. It is found that honeycombs exhibit better energy-absorbing performance under cyclic loading. The research achievements provide theoretical support for application of honeycombs in fields including mines and underground spaces.