Relative merits of single-cell, multi-cell and foam-filled thin-walled structures in energy absorption

The axial crushing of hollow multi-cell columns were studied analytically and numerically. A theoretical solution for the mean crushing force of multi-cell sections were derived, and the solution was shown to compare very well with the numerical predictions. Numerical studies were also carried out on foam-filled double-cell and triple-cell columns. Based upon the numerical results, closed-form solutions were derived to calculate the mean crushing strength of these sections. It was found that the interaction effects between the foam core and the column wall contribute to the total crushing resistance by the amounts equal to 140% and 180% of the direct foam resistance for double cell and triple cell respectively. Finally, the relative merits of single-cell, multi-cell and foam-filled sections were discussed.