Experimental and numerical investigation on crush resistance of polygonal columns and angle elements

Energy absorption characteristics of regular polygonal columns and rhombic columns under quasi-static axial compression are investigated by using an INSTRON materials testing machine. The influence of central angle on deformation mode and mean crushing force of angle elements is studied. Numerical investigations are also carried out to study the crush resistance of polygonal columns and angle elements under quasi-static and dynamic axial compression. The numerical predicted crushing force and deformation mode of the polygonal columns are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. In addition, based on the experiment observations, some discussion about the deformation mechanism of energy absorption is presented.

► Quasi-static axial compression experiments are carried out for prismatic columns.
► Numerical analyses are also carried out to simulate the experimental tests.
► A novel energy absorption mechanism is found during loading.
► Numerical analyses compare well with experiment and validate the new mechanism.