Three-Dimensional Response of an Automobile to a Generalized Impulse
Abstract
Roadside design standards have not kept pace with the recent up-swing of compact and subcompact vehicle traffic on the highways. Written when the predominant vehicle size was larger than the present trends, these standards require examination in light of the smaller, lighter vehicles. By modifying the highway-vehicle-object simulation model (HVOSM), a three-dimensional computer simulation of signpost impacts is available as a tool to evaluate the standards. In the course of this thesis, validation of the modified HVOSM was completed to prove the reliability of the program in simulating real collisions; then, the parameter studies were carried out. Signpost models meeting the upper limits of the AASHTO standards were prepared. The two models represented the major signpost installation methods: a breakaway signpost connected to a base at ground level, and a base-bending signpost placed directly into the ground. Then, large, medium, compact and subcompact vehicle impacts with the signpost models were simulated using the modified HVOSM.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA090796
Entities
People
- John Frederick Betz
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology