Analytical method for the axial crushing force of fiber-reinforced tapered square metal tubes

An analytical method is presented to solve the energy absorption behavior of fiber-reinforced tapered square metal tubes under axial loading. Based on the axial collapse model of square metal thin-walled structures by Wierzbicki and the finite element simulate to fiber-reinforced tapered square metal tubes, a simplified collapse model of fiber-reinforced tapered square metal tubes is presented, and the corresponding analytical solution is given based on an empirical equation getting the proportionality coefficient λ from finite element simulation. Experiment data and finite element simulation are utilized for validating the rationality of the analytical method proposed in this paper. The influences of fiber wrapped orientation, wall thickness of fiber layer and basic angle of tapered square tubes on the axially crushing force and energy absorption capability of fiber-reinforced tapered square metal tubes are described and discussed.