Elastic Limit Analysis for Elliptical and Circular Tubes Under Lateral Tension

The elastic limit analysis for elliptical and circular tubes under lateral force is conducted in the present paper, and elastic–perfect plastic material model is employed. An analytical expression for describing the elastic limit load of elliptical and circular tubes under lateral force is obtained. It shows that the critical load for elliptical and circular tubes under lateral force increases with the plastic yielding strength of the tube material, the ratio of the wall thickness to radius, the wall thickness and the length of the tube, as well as the degree of deviation from circular tube monotonously. The experimental results from available literature for both steel and aluminum tubes are cited to verify the proposed expression, and it shows that the expression reflects the loading capacity of elliptical and circular tubes quite well, which indicates the proposed expression is a reasonable formula.