Maximisation of the crushing performance of a tubular device by shape optimisation

A tapered tubular steel component to be used as an energy-absorbing device has been optimised by taking into account two design variables describing the tapering geometry. The minimisation of a load uniformity parameter evaluated as the ratio between the maximum and the average crushing loads has been considered as objective function. The optimisation process has been carried out by using a multi-point approximation scheme based on the response surface methodology. The optimisation process led to the identification of two promising geometrical configurations characterised by a quite low value of the load uniformity parameter. The two solutions have been analysed with respect to their sensitivity towards two model parameters, the sheet thickness and the Young modulus of the material. © 2002 Civil-Comp Ltd. and Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.