Prediction of Mode Parameters and Moment-Rotation Curves for Crushed Thin-Walled Trapezoidal Tubes in Bending

Abstract

In the context of kinematic models, a general procedure for the bending crush analysis of thin-walled members is proposed and applied to the trapezoidal and rectangular tubes in bending. The main emphasis of this study is given to the determination of collapse mode parameters and the prediction of post-collapse behaviors of the structural member. The mode shapes are determined by minimizing plastic energy rate of the members. Moment-rotation curves are obtained by differentiating the absorbed plastic energy with respect to the rotation angle. For small rotation angles the solution is modified by considering elastic buckling and plastic collapse moments. Through several examples a full range of post-collapse response of the thin-walled members is shown to be effectively calculated by the proposed method without making any recourse to experimental data.