ABSTRACT
The main objective of this investigation was to study the effect of failure modes on key energy absorption parameters including the initial peak load, the drop in the peak load and the sustained crushing load in the crushing process of unidirectional polymer matrix composite (PMC) tubes under quasi-static conditions. The failure modes of interest are the axial cracks, the transverse cracks and delamination. The role of initiators with different radii and external constraints was carefully analyzed in the context of primary failure modes using a real time image acquisition system. The results for fiberglass/polyester tubes showed that the failure modes have a critical role on the nature of crushing of the tubes and their corresponding specific energy absorption (SEA). In addition, it was possible to control the failure modes for better crushing performance by using external constraints combined with initiators.
