WEIGHT-EFFICIENT SAFETY STRUCTURES

The article describes the vehicle design engineering service, based on the philosophy of simplification rather than elaboration, provided by the structural design group of the Cranfield Institute of Technology. In parallel with development work on lightweight structures and impact resistance in vehicle body design, an impact performance simulation technique offering potential saving in prototype construction and crash-test programmes has also been developed. Modelling of crash barrier tests allow the performance of vehicle structures to be predicted. In the first case, vehicle body crush is obtained for a given vehicle load and impact speed. In the second case impact time and final (rebound) speed are added and three additional parameters - crush modulus, severity factor and structure index - define a vehicle's impact behaviour. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03076490
• Corporate Authors:

  Mechanical Engineering Publications Limited

  P.O. Box 24, Northgate Avenue
  Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 6BW,   England 
• Publication Date: 1980-4-5

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 77-79
• Serial:
  • AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER
  • Volume: 5
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Institution of Mechanical Engineers
  • ISSN: 0307-6490

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Automotive engineering; Behavior; Crash tests; Crashworthiness; Deformation; Design; Forecasting; Impacts; Lightweight materials; Motor vehicle bodies; Motor vehicles; Simulation; Speed; Strength of materials; Traffic speed; Vehicle design; Vehicle safety; Weight
• Old TRIS Terms: Automobile bodies; Vehicular safety
• ITRD Terms: 9001: Behaviour; 1356: Body (car); 1243: Car; 5595: Deformation; 9011: Design (overall design); 132: Forecast; 1648: Impact test (crash); 9038: Lightweight; 5471: Shock; 9103: Simulation; 5408: Speed; 5544: Strength (mater)
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Research; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00319631
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-029 212
• Files: HSL, ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 19 1984 12:00AM