Study of the bending response of metal foam-filled beams applied to enhance the rollover behaviour of coach structures

The aim of this research is to study the bending response of metal foam-filled beams applied to enhance the energy-absorbing capacity of coach structures under rollover conditions. The study of the energy absorption of metal foam-filled beams was performed using advanced pore morphology foam by varying the density and length of the foam filling. The work was done using finite-element models and static bending tests with empty and metal foam-filled beams. The comparison between the experimental results and the finite-element models was validated using validation metrics. The results obtained from this research work show that metal foam filling in beams substantially increases both the plastic deformation energy and the specific energy absorbed with respect to the empty beams. Therefore, filling beams with metal foam is presented as a potential solution for enhancing the rollover response of coach structures and consequently for improving the safety of the occupants.