A Large-Deflection Design Technique for Modelling the Collapse of Bus Frames Constructed From Thin Walled Tubes in Roll-Over Accidents

Abstract

A large-deflection design technique is presented for the thin-walled tubular frames which form the superstructure of passenger buses. This procedure could be used at the early stages of bus design so that potential designs can be quickly evaluated to ascertain whether they meet the legislated occupant protection requirements for roll-over accidents. The failure of such thin-walled frames can be quite sudden, the maximum load-carrying capacity not being sustained and a drooping load deflection curve characteristically being exhibited once the maximum load is passed. Consequently this design technique determines the complete load-deflection behaviour of a frame. This is because proper crashworthy design requires a determination of a bus frame's energy absorption capability and suddenness of collapse, not just its ultimate strength. The load-deflection behavior of a two dimensional frame was successfully modelled.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1993
Accession Number
ADA270007

Entities

People

  • N. W. Murray
  • S. J. Cimpoeru

Organizations

  • Defence Science and Technology Group

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Absorption
  • Accidents
  • Australia
  • Civil Engineering
  • Collapse
  • Deflection
  • Engineering
  • Equations
  • Geometry
  • Materials
  • Passengers
  • Payload
  • Plastic Deformation
  • Reasoning
  • Structural Engineering
  • Superstructures
  • Two Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Structural Dynamics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design