Bending collapse is a failure mechanism in thin-walled shapes that often appear in structures under impact and high bending loads. It is characterized by the formation of a localized zone of large plastic strains, referred to as a plastic hinge, which is typically described in engineering applications by moment–rotation curves. The importance of this topic primarily lies in the estimation of the crashworthiness of vehicle structures, where tubes with rectangular hollow sections are commonly used in structures for rollover protection. In this field, both the strength and the energy absorption of the shape need to be adequately quantified. Although this topic has been covered in past and recent research, the existing studies are based on empirical deformation mechanisms and energy methods that provide limited insight into the mechanical principles governing bending collapse. In this investigation, numerical simulations are employed to analyze the influence of geometric parameters and strain hardening on the bending properties of rectangular hollow tubes. The finite element models are verified with experimental results reported in the literature. The results show that bending collapse is governed by the occurrence of local buckling in the compressed flange and sidewalls. Moreover, the moment–angle curves are correlated with stress and plastic deformation responses in the plastic hinge. This study gives acomprehensive understanding of the mechanical quantities governing the different stages of bending collapse, offering crucial insights for developing theoretical models for novel thin-walled energy absorbers
Autor(es):YARASCA, Jorge
LAVAYEN, Daniel
RODRIGUEZ, Jorge
Año: 2025
Título de la revista: Archive of Applied Mechanics
Url: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00419-025-02961-x