| In this thesis we examine the influence of oblique loading upon the crush behaviour of foam-filled square aluminium columns subjected to quasi-static collapse loads. Theoretical and experimental work are undertaken to study the effect of the loading angle, friction, and the aluminium foam filler on the collapse behaviour of the composite structure. Three-dimensional elasto-plastic finite element analysis of oblique loading using LS-Dyna is conducted. The effect of loading angle, column geometry, and foam-density on the crush behaviour of columns are studied and compared with crush tests using electro-hydraulic servo-controlled test facility. The work was also extended to account for partial filling of the column. The results show that partial foam-filling of columns resulted in the most SEA-efficient collapse response for the widest range of angles considered. |
