Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Dr Pooya SarehORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2025 The Authors. Origami-inspired thin-walled structures are increasingly applied in energy-absorption systems, particularly in automotive and aerospace engineering, due to their predictable collapse mechanisms and structural efficiency. However, as structural slenderness increases, the risk of buckling and sensitivity to imperfections also rise, potentially undermining performance. This study investigates the influence of slenderness ratio and initial geometric imperfections on the energy absorption and buckling resistance of two tubular origami configurations. The first structure, a cylindrical LS-DDC tube, is based on the least-symmetric crystallographic form of the developable double-corrugation (DDC) surface, while the second is a square bellow with diamond-like corners (SB-WDC), used for comparison. An equivalent moment of inertia is derived using nodal coordinates to define slenderness ratio ranges. Imperfection sensitivity is assessed theoretically through the reduced stiffness method (RSM) and simplified super folding element theory (SSFE). Quasi-static axial crushing simulations are conducted to validate the numerical models and evaluate energy-absorption performance. Results indicate that the LS-DDC structure offers significantly greater energy absorption and specific energy absorption than the SB-WDC counterpart. Finite element analyses further reveal that LS-DDC structures are generally less sensitive to initial geometric imperfections, as indicated by a higher average knockdown factor. These findings provide insights into optimal slenderness ratio ranges that balance energy-absorption capacity with imperfection sensitivity, thereby enhancing the mechanical performance and structural reliability of origami-inspired energy absorbers.
Author(s): Lu C, Shao Z, Chen Y, Feng J, Sareh P
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: European Journal of Mechanics - A/Solids
Year: 2026
Volume: 116
Issue: Part A
Print publication date: 01/03/2026
Online publication date: 11/10/2025
Acceptance date: 07/10/2025
Date deposited: 29/10/2025
ISSN (print): 0997-7538
ISSN (electronic): 1873-7285
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euromechsol.2025.105909
DOI: 10.1016/j.euromechsol.2025.105909
Data Access Statement: Data will be made available on request.
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
