Damage Mitigation of a Steel Column Subjected to Automobile Collision Using a Honeycomb Panel

This study investigates the performance and design of an aluminum honeycomb panel attached to the face of a steel column for reducing local damage caused by vehicle collision. The dynamic plateau stress of the honeycomb panel is obtained from impact analyses and is used for design of the panel to mitigate vehicle impact. To verify the impact energy-absorption capability of the honeycomb panel designed with the proposed method, a vehicle collision analysis is carried out using a finite-element model of an 8-t truck. According to the finite-element analysis results, the honeycomb panel can be effective in decreasing the damage of the column by absorbing part of the impact energy. Based on the analysis results it is concluded that the proposed design method reflecting the dynamic characteristics of the honeycomb panel can be useful for preliminary design of protective system for columns.