Uncover the underlying mechanisms of topology and structural hierarchy in energy absorption performances of bamboo-inspired tubular honeycomb

Inspired by the microstructures of the bamboo culm wall, we propose a topological tubular honeycomb with structural hierarchy and subsequently demonstrate the outstanding energy absorption capabilities through experiments and numerical modeling. A theoretical model is developed and demonstrated to capture the fundamental structure-performance characteristics of the topology and structural hierarchy in bamboo-inspired tubular honeycombs. The energy absorption capacities of tubular honeycombs with different topological parameters and hierarchical orders are accurately predicted. Results reveal that the governing laws of the structural hierarchy, topological parameters, and their coupling effects on the energy performance of tubular honeycombs. Mechanism maps are also presented to offer insights for designing the next-generation energy absorbers and novel hierarchical/topological structures for energy absorption and impact resistance. (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Inspired by the microstructures of bamboo culm wall, this study proposes a topological tubular honeycomb with structural hierarchy and demonstrates its outstanding energy absorption capabilities through experiments and numerical modeling. A theoretical model is developed to capture the structure-performance characteristics of bamboo-inspired tubular honeycombs, and accurately predicts their energy absorption capacities with different topological parameters and hierarchical orders. The results reveal the governing laws of structural hierarchy, topological parameters, and their coupling effects on the energy performance of tubular honeycombs.