New generation of energy dissipating systems based on biaxial buckling

•A new generation of energy dissipating system is proposed and tested under complex loadings.•Five inclination angles (30°, 37°, 45°, 53° and 60°) are tested using circular and square tubes.•The higher the inclination angle, the greater the torsion effect, the greater is the energy absorbed.

This work proposes a new generation of energy dissipating system based upon an original patented mechanical assembly: the Absorption par Compression–Torsion Plastique (ACTP) presented in Abdul-Latif and Baleh (2005). 1 In fact, the ACTP transforms a uniaxial external loading into biaxial compression–torsion, where several degrees of biaxial loading paths complexity can be created within the loaded tubes. Such a concept which aims to enhance the strength properties of material is now extended to study the biaxial plastic buckling of different materials, and different cross sections under further severe loading conditions.The intention of this comprehensive experimental study is to further investigate a new severe loading configuration under quasi-static strain regime. Thus, five inclination angles (30°, 37°, 45°, 53° and 60°) are tested using circular and square tubes made from copper and aluminum alloy, respectively. An integrity measure of the mean collapse load and the corresponding energy absorbed shows that the higher the inclination angle (i.e., the higher loading complexity), the greater the rates of change of torsional component, and the greater the mean collapse load, and the corresponding energy absorbed in copper and aluminum tubular structures.