The crumpling of steel thin-walled tubes and frusta under axial compression at elevated strain-rates: Some experimental results

Abstract Uniformly thin circular cylinders and frusta (truncated circular cones) of low carbon steel were subjected to axial loading at elevated strain-rates. Their initial axial length and the outside diameter of the cylinders and frusta (the larger top end) were kept constant whilst their uniform wall thickness was varied. The load-deformation or compression behaviour of the cylinders and frusta for the two semi-apical angles used, 5° and 10°, were recorded and the modes of collapse were observed and are discussed. Initial axisymmetric rings (‘ring’, ‘bellows’ or ‘concertina’ buckling) developed into non-symmetric ‘diamond’ patterns (elliptic, triangular and square, etc.) as loading progressed and initially non-symmetric diamond buckle patterns were observed to characterise the modes of frustum collapse.