Axial Crushing of Hybrid Square Sandwich Composite Vehicle Hollow Bodyshells

Two different structural configurations of hybrid sandwich composite rail vehicle tubular component, made of foam-cored composite sandwich panels with integral FRP energy absorbing inserts, are examined under axial loading. The mechanical response of these small-scale bodyshells under impact conditions is investigated both at macro- and microscale. Failure modes and the energy absorbing characteristics of the collapsed structural components are analyzed, taking into account the effect of material and design parameters.