An analytical and numerical framework for evaluating axial compression of finite dimensional metallic foams by generalization of buckling effects.

In this work, the overall behavior of finite dimensional metallic foam specimens under axial compression is derived from a mixed analytical and numerical framework based on the buckling pattern that the walls of the foam exhibit in this situation. Instead of a full simulation of the entire foam, the present approach requires the simulation of three compression cases of representative volume elements and works on a finite dimensional context instead of the infinite periodic boundary consideration. Results obtained with the present framework are compared with those obtained using full finite element simulation, exhibiting excellent agreement even at very large strains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]