Semnan University Press Mechanics of Advanced Composite Structures 2423-4826 8 1 2021 04 01 Experimental and Numerical Investigation on the Flexural Behavior of Composite-Reinforced Top-Hat Shape Beam 149 156 4468 10.22075/macs.2020.19910.1245 EN Nima Zahedan Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Hamed Ahmadi Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Gholam Hossein Liaghat Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran - School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Kingston University, London, United Kingdom Journal Article 2020 02 25 Top-hat hollow-section beams are widely used in passenger vehicle’s body-in-white structure because of their proper shape for the montage process and also crashworthiness advantages. Hollow section beams with top-hat cross-section are mostly employed in structures like B-pillar, rocker sill, and roof rail which are engaged in side impact collisions. In the present investigation, simplified top-hat beams are developed based on a conventional B-pillar with the aim of improving energy absorption characteristics. Reinforcements are conducted by employing fiber glass-epoxy composite material. Three types of reinforced beams are presented which are either improved by composite-laminating, or by installation of an extra composite-made internal reinforcement. Experimental tests are performed in quasi-static three-point bending condition and based on results, a FE simulation is developed using LS-Dyna explicit code. Specimens are compared based on peak load, total energy absorption (TEA) and specific energy absorption (SEA) amounts. Also, to illustrate the extent of improvements, a not-reinforced top-hat beam is experimentally subjected under three-point bending test. Results depict a significant difference between the performance of beams reinforced by different methods. Comparison between specimens, considering their respective load-displacement diagram and crashworthiness characteristics, show that applying composite laminates to the inside surface of a hat-shaped beam would produce a beam with satisfying flexural behavior. https://macs.semnan.ac.ir/article_4468_88c040adb393832c87914347cc2afc3f.pdf