Static lateral compression of aluminium tubes: Strain gauge measurements and discussion of theoretical models

Abstract

This paper illustrates experimental results obtained by means of strain gauges applied on circular tubes during static lateral crushing. The aim of the work is to obtain an experimental insight regarding the strain field during lateral compression and to verify the known theoretical models. The experimental activity involved aluminium tubes of 80 and 100 mm diameter and 2 mm wall thickness. Up to thirty strain gauges were applied on the internal and external surfaces of each tube. Additional theoretical results were obtained by means of numerical simulation performed using a non-linear finite element code. The measurements are well fitted, both qualitatively and quantitatively, by the Reid-Reddy theoretical model.