Experimental study on the crashworthiness response of hybrid Al/GFRP crash-box structures under axial compression loading

Abstract

In this research, the dynamic crushing behavior of crash boxes made of aluminum reinforced with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) with circular cross-section is presented. Energy absorption capacity and damage behavior for different composite wall thickness and fiber ply orientation were investigated. The result shows that adding composite layers to the aluminum column will improve the column's energy absorption capacity. Nevertheless, the Specific Energy Absorption (SEA) of the aluminum structures generally higher than the hybrid systems. However, the hybrid column has higher crushing resistance than a combination of separate aluminum and composite crash boxes with the same geometry. This shows that interaction between aluminum and composites enhance the crash behavior since a stable and progressive crushing mode were observed, resulting in greater energy absorption. Additional research should be carried out to investigate further.