The Effect of Foam Filling Upon the Energy Absorption of Spot Welded Sheet Metal Tubes

The effect of shell material properties and foam density on the energy absorption of spot welded, square section sheet steel tubes was studied. It was found that as the sheet material tensile strength increased, the effectiveness of the foam in increasing the energy absorption capability diminished. The observed changes in energy absorption could be predicted reasonably accurately by a simple model which correlated shell material property, section geometry, and foam density.