ABSTRACT The protection of structures under impact loading often necessitates the need for energy absorbers; devices designed to absorb the impact energy in a controlled manner and hence, protect the structure under consideration. Thinwalled tubes are widely used as energy absorbers in various vehicles and moving parts. The objective of the present study is to investigate the energy absorption characteristic of tubes with corrugations in different geometries, in lateral direction. In order to produce corrugations, an innovative solution is introduced. Corrugations can be very easily generated on the surface of cylindrical aluminum tubes by stamping method. Corrugations with different wavelengths and amplitudes can be produced by this method. Experimental tests are conducted to study the effect of changing corrugation geometry (type and amplitude). Quasi-static tests are carried out whose results for lateral compression show that tubes with corrugation have a higher mean crushing force and this force is directly proportional to number of corrugations and their amplitude. Moreover, it is observed that corrugated tubes can absorb approximately four times more energy than tubes without corrugations, in the same size and weight. Finally, considering the experimental tests, corrugated tubes are shown to be more effective in lateral direction as an energy absorber, and they also exhibit desirable force-deflection responses which are important in the design of energy absorbing devices
