Impact Response of Multi-Grooved Square Column

This work aims to determine the response and impact energy absorbing capability of the square hollow section (SHS) column with U-shape grooves, subjected to dynamic mid span loading. Geometrical parametric study i.e. width and depth of the grooves and spacing between grooves was carried out using non-linear explicit finite element package ABAQUS. Comparison between plain SHS column with grooved SHS column in terms of initial peak force (IPF), specific energy absorption (SEA) and crush force efficiency (CFE) was carried out. It was found that the depth and width of the groove and spacing between grooves have significant effect on the impact response of SHS column. The grooved column has a higher SEA, shorter crushing distance but slightly lower CFE as compared to the plain column. This would make the grooved column a better option when designing for side intrusion protection.