Lattice structures possess a huge potential for energy absorbing applications, and the
postinitial collapse region should be analyzed with respect to design principles in
such cases. This paper presents an analytical method to calculate the ultimate yield
surfaces of statically indeterminate planar lattice structures, based on the assessment
of static equilibrium of the unit cell before and after initial yielding. The
material of the unit cell wall is assumed to be elastic, perfectly plastic. Three
statically indeterminate planar lattice structures: the diamond cross cell, the
statically-indeterminate square cell (SI-square cell), the new Kagome cell
(N-Kagome), are analyzed. The parametric studies reveal the roles of various
geometrical parameters on the performance of each structure. The SI-square
cell is utilized as an example to demonstrate the evolution of structural
yielding, thus providing an insight into the collapse mode of lattice structures.
Furthermore, the stress-strain relationships of the SI-square and N-Kagome cells are
also calculated, and the effective constitutive relations of both lattices are
found to be linearly hardening, which is validated by finite element (FE)
simulations.