Finite Element Analysis of Hollow Circular Steel Tube Subjected to Lateral Impact Load: A Comprehensive Study

Steel tubes are widely used in structural and industrial applications such as building columns, railings, scaffolding, electrical conduits. During their life cycle, these structures often experience sustained loads, aggressive environmental conditions (such as corrosion), and extreme loading conditions (impact load, blast load and fire exposures). Among these, impact loads have been identified as a critical factor, rendering the structures vulnerable and compromising their overall integrity. To assess the impact performance of these structures, two widely used methods are the pendulum hammer and drop hammer test setups. Despite past studies investigating the effect of impactor geometry on hollow steel tube structures, there exists a lack of collaborative research that comprehensively analyzes the combined influence of various loading parameters (such as impactor mass and impactor height) and structural parameters (including steel yield strength, boundary conditions, and tube diameter) in conjunction with impactor geometry on the impact response of hollow circular steel (HCS) tubes. This paper aims to bridge this gap by conducting a numerical study using nonlinear finite element analysis with the ABAQUS/Explicit package. The impact is simulated at the midspan of the specimens. Three distinct drop hammer shapes (cylindrical, hemispherical, and wedge) are employed, and the analysis considers the material similarity of the drop hammer. The study's findings reveal that the primary failure mode was local buckling at the impacted site, and the impact performance of the HCS tubes is significantly influenced by the yield strength of the steel tube and loading parameters, while boundary conditions have a negligible effect. The outcomes of this study will serve as a valuable reference for future analyses and the design of HCS tube subjected to impact loading.