Road crashes have become a major concern worldwide. Rural highways account for more than 66% of total road fatalities as the speed of vehicles on these highways are very high. Rollover crashes at curved roads in these areas are mostly serious and cause severe damage and injury than other kinds of vehicle crashes. The relatively low rollover stability of heavy commercial vehicles promotes rollover and contributes to the number of heavy vehicle crashes. Inconsistency in geometric design of rural curves can present an unpredictable road profile before the driver resulting in erroneous and dangerous maneuvers. A way to improve safety on curves is improving its geometric design. Research has been conducted to evaluate the dynamic behavior of vehicles on curves and their relation with highway geometry. But uniformity was not observed in the geometric parameters identified to affect rollover stability. So, this research evaluated the influence of geometry of horizontal curves on rollover stability of vehicles with focus on two-axle trucks loaded up to its Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). The lateral behavior of a cornering truck under varying curve geometry was examined using vehicle dynamics simulation software IPG TruckMaker and lateral acceleration experienced by the truck while cornering was used as a measure of its stability against rollover. It was observed that the most significant geometric variable affecting rollover stability of trucks is radius of the horizontal curve. Length of the curve and superelevation also affect truck stability. Models which predict lateral acceleration experienced by a truck at point of curvature, midpoint of curve, and point of tangency were developed. Maximum lateral acceleration prediction models were also developed. The outputs of this research can be used as road safety audit tools to identify potential stability issues on curves and to design safe curves.
Rollover Stability Analysis of Trucks-Effect of Curve Geometry and Operating Speed
Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering
International Conference on Transportation Infrastructure Projects : Conception to Execution ; 2022 ; Haridwar, India September 14, 2022 - September 17, 2022
2023-07-01
17 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
Static Rollover Thresholds of Heavy Trucks
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1992
|Static Rollover Thresholds of Heavy Trucks
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1992
|