THE ROLE OF EXPERIMENTS AND NUMERICAL ANALYSIS IN ROADSIDE SAFETY DEVELOPMENT

The development of cost effective safety systems for the roadside is a complex task, relying on difficult and costly tests. Numerical analysis is used as a complementary approach, to improve the effectiveness and to help interpretation of experiments. The development of analytical tools, both hardware and software, and the consequent increase of the popularity of the analysis, is creating large expectations, possibly beyond the real possibilites. This may involve the risk of making wrong decisions, and diverting too much research effort or funding from experimental to computer activity. The quality and realism of graphics in the presentation of numerical results is becoming so high that the non specialist may have the impression that not only the pictures (shapes, light, shadows, etc.) but also the mechanics (trajectories, velocities, accelerations, etc.) are very close to reality. And, even more dangerous, someone may think that numerical analysis is becoming so powerful that experiments and tests are obsolete and no longer necessary. The development of numerical analysis of the dynamics of full scale tests and of real life accidents, simulation as it is commonly names, slowly changes the roles of simulation and tests. Future development of simulation and of its use will increase the synergy with tests and experiments: the latter will possibly decrease in number and increase in quality, requiring more and more accurate quantitative measures, while material and component testing will increase both in number and in quality. Experiments, as well as the whole development program of new safety systems will be more cost effective and more influenced by simulation, but both methodologies will maintain their essential role, as the two wings of a flying airplane. Who may say which wing is more important? The paper discusses the roles and interactions between experiments and the different simulation techniques which are currently available or under development, with reference to examples taken from the author's experience.

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• Corporate Authors:

  PTRC Education and Research Services Limited

  Glenthorne House, Hammersmith Grove
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• Authors:
  • GIAVOTTO, V
• Conference:
  • Traffic Safety on Two Continents
  • Location: Malmo, Sweden
  • Date: 1999-9-20 to 1999-9-22
• Publication Date: 1998

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 105-108
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute
  • Publisher: Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Experiments; Numerical analysis; Roadside; Safety; Simulation
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00766072
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: VTI konferens 9A Part 2
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 19 2003 12:00AM