Plastic behavior of slender circular metal foam-filled tubes under transverse loading

Abstract

In this paper, the large deflection of the slender circular metal foam-filled tube (FFT) under transverse loading is studied theoretically and numerically. The yield criterion of the circular foam-filled tube is proposed. Using the yield criterion, the analytical solution for the plastic behavior of slender circular metal foam-filled tube under transverse loading is obtained considering the interaction between bending and stretching and foam strength. Large deflection of the circular metal foam-filled tube is numerically calculated. The analytical model captures numerical results. Influences of tube-wall thickness, punch width, foam strength, loading position and the radius of filled foam on the load-carrying capacity and energy absorption (EA) of foam-filled tubes are discussed in detail. The results show the load-carrying capacity and energy absorption of the foam-filled tubes increase with the increase of tube-wall thickness, foam strength, punch width and the radius of filled foam.