An experimental investigation was carried out to correlate the crushing response of square unidirectional polymeric composite tubes with the associated major failure modes in the crushing process. The failure modes of interest included axial splitting, transverse cracking, and delamination. The effect of using external constraints on the crushing performance and energy absorption capability of square tubes was also analyzed. The tubes used in the tests were unidirectional fiber-glass/polyester and fiber-glass/vinyl ester tubes. Tests were performed for flat crushing and using initiators with a 12-mm radius. The results showed that the external constraint can significantly affect the major failure modes in the crushing process, leading to considerable improvement in the specific energy absorption (SEA) of the tubes.
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