Citation

Gauthier GP, Jewell JR, Rowhani P. Transp. Res. Rec. 1995; 1500: 59-69.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A side impact system for projecting crash test vehicles in side skids was developed and tested. The system incorporates a side impact carriage (SIC) that can be modified to position the test vehicle at different yaw angles, a guidance rail, an impact attenuator, a skid deck, and tow cable propulsion. The SIC is a modified lightweight test bogie designed to carry test vehicles weighing up to 1170 kg. The SIC is loaded with the vehicle and towed up to the skid deck by a 1-ton pickup truck pulling the cable through a pulley. The SIC hits the skid deck at the wheel supports for the test vehicle, causing them to collapse. The vehicle drops onto the lubricated skid deck, and skids in channels positioned to maintain the correct yaw angle. The SIC travels underneath the deck and slows to a stop after colliding with the impact attenuator. The vehicle skids off the deck and onto the ground surface in front of the test article. After several trial tests, the system was used to project a Honda Civic in a side skid at a counterclockwise yaw angle of 31 deg, a trajectory angle of 22 deg, and an impact speed of 66.5 km/hr into a double thrie beam median barrier. The side impact system needs modifications and more testing. The double thrie beam median barrier meets the occupant risk and structural adequacy (but not the vehicle trajectory) evaluation criteria for Test 2-10 of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350 guidelines. The test indicated the need to conduct more side-skid testing of the double thrie beam median barrier.

Language: en

Keywords

Accident prevention; Automobiles; Highway accidents; Speed; Standards; Skidding; Collision avoidance; Guard rails; Roadsides; Median dividers; Beams and girders; Impact testing