Global stability formulation of a non-unified Miura origami-patterned slender tube

Abstract

In structural engineering, axially compressed members with relatively high slenderness ratios are prone to global buckling. A promising solution to this issue is a tailored non-unified Miura-origami crease scheme, which has been proven to significantly mitigate global buckling in non-slender and slender tubes under axial compression. Building on previous work, this manuscript advances the research into stability evaluation of the patterned slender tube and proposes a quantification method for their global stability. First, the inertia moment of the patterned cross-section is theoretically derived, and the slenderness ratio of the tube is calculated with a modification coefficient of the critical load. Subsequently, a method for calculating the stability coefficient is obtained after parametric investigations on the effect of the geometry on the yield load by nonlinear finite element simulations. Finally, a quantification method for the global stability of the tube is proposed. The study shows that, in contrast to the typical Eulerian formula, the proposed method accounts for the reduction effect of the creases on the stability of the tube and effectively predicts its global stability. This method is expected to serve as a practical tool to promote and facilitate the application of origami-patterned tubes in structural engineering.