Motor vehicle accidents involving pole impacts often rewlt in serious bead and neck injuries to occupants. Pole impacts are typically associated with rollover and side collisions. During such events, the roof structure is often deformed into the occupant survival space. The existence of a strengthened roof structure would reduce roof deformation and accordingly provide better protection to occupants. The present study examines the effect of reinforced (strengthened) roofs using experimental crash study and computer mode! simulation. The experimental study includes the production cab structure of a pickup truck. The cab structure was loaded using an actual telephone pole under controlled laboratory conditions. The cab structure wah subjected to two separate ioad conditions at the A-piIIar and door frame. The contact force and deformation were measured sing a forte gauge and potentiometer, respectively. A computer finite element model was created to simulate the experimental studies. The results of finite element model matched well with experimental data during two different load conditions. The validated finite element model was then used to simulate a reinforced roof structure. The reinforced roof significantly reduced the structural deformations compared to those observed in the production roof. The peak deformation was reduced by approximately 75 % and peak velocity was reduced by approximately 50 %. Such a reduction m the deformation of the roof structure helps to maintain a safe occupant survival space.
Effect of roof strength in injury mitigation during pole impact
Einfluß der Dachfestigkeit auf die Minderung der Verletzungsgefahr bei Unfall mit Pfahlaufprall
2006
6 Seiten, 5 Bilder, 14 Quellen
Conference paper
English
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