Behavior of pre-compressed tubes subjected to local loads

Previous studies have been conducted on the structural behavior of dented tubular members. Nevertheless, there is insufficient experimental research on the deformation behavior of locally loaded tubes. In this paper, the behavior of six pre-compressed specimens under local lateral loads was investigated and experimentally evaluated. Relevant finite element simulations and theoretical predictions were considered for the comparison of critical loads, absorbed energy and modes of deformation. Derived results were aimed at using data for dented tubular members in full scale. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.