A compression rod having a buckling initiating feature, the compression rod comprising: an elongate body; the elongate body having a first cross sectional area along a first length thereof and a second cross sectional area along a second length thereof; and the buckling initiating feature comprising the second cross sectional area, the second cross sectional area being configured to cause predetermined buckling along the elongate body upon application of a predetermined axially oriented compressive force; wherein the second cross sectional area causes an eccentricity between: a first axially oriented axis along which the predetermined axially oriented compressive force is applied, and a second axially oriented axis defined by a centroid of the second cross sectional area; wherein the first cross sectional area defines a first outer diameter; wherein the compression rod has frictional bearings on each end thereof; characterized in that the compression rod has a slenderness ratio of between 50 and 200; wherein the eccentricity is 3.2 to 4.8% of the first outer diameter; and the buckling initiating feature comprising a surface depression configured such that the predetermined axially oriented compressive force is within 5% of an analytically calculated force at which the buckling is predicted to occur when there is no friction on each end of the compression rod. an elongate body; the elongate body having a first cross sectional area along a first length thereof and a second cross sectional area along a second length thereof; and the buckling initiating feature comprising the second cross sectional area, the second cross sectional area being configured to cause predetermined buckling along the elongate body upon application of a predetermined axially oriented compressive force; wherein the second cross sectional area causes an eccentricity between: a first axially oriented axis along which the predetermined axially oriented compressive force is applied, and a second axially oriented axis defined by a centroid of the second cross sectional area; wherein the first cross sectional area defines a first outer diameter; wherein the compression rod has frictional bearings on each end thereof; characterized in that the compression rod has a slenderness ratio of between 50 and 200; wherein the eccentricity is 3.2 to 4.8% of the first outer diameter; and the buckling initiating feature comprising a surface depression configured such that the predetermined axially oriented compressive force is within 5% of an analytically calculated force at which the buckling is predicted to occur when there is no friction on each end of the compression rod. a first axially oriented axis along which the predetermined axially oriented compressive force is applied, and a second axially oriented axis defined by a centroid of the second cross sectional area; wherein the first cross sectional area defines a first outer diameter; wherein the compression rod has frictional bearings on each end thereof; characterized in that the compression rod has a slenderness ratio of between 50 and 200; wherein the eccentricity is 3.2 to 4.8% of the first outer diameter; and the buckling initiating feature comprising a surface depression configured such that the predetermined axially oriented compressive force is within 5% of an analytically calculated force at which the buckling is predicted to occur when there is no friction on each end of the compression rod.