Search Results

Far-side occupants are not addressed in current government regulations around the world even though they account for up to 40% of occupant HARM in side impact crashes. Consequently, there are very few crash tests with far-side dummies available to researchers. Sled tests are frequently used to replicate the dynamic conditions of a full-scale crash test in a controlled setting. However, in far-side crashes the complexity of the occupant kinematics is increased by the longer duration of the motion and by the increased rotation of the vehicle. The successful duplication of occupant motion in these crashes confirms that a sled test is an effective, cost-efficient means of testing and developing far-side occupant restraints or injury countermeasures.

Trailing axles, otherwise known as tag axles, are utilized in many states to allow heavy duty dump trucks and cement trucks to maximize their capacity. The trailing axle is an additional axle mounted on an arm on the rear of the truck that can be raised and lowered. When lowered, the axle extends the overall wheelbase of the vehicle and increases the total number of axles, thereby allowing for additional load to be carried without exceeding load-restriction regulations. There are multiple manufactures of trailing axles that utilize different suspension designs. One design uses an articulating axle that is mounted to the framework that lowers it. In this study, the sensitivity of this design to tire blowout on one of the trailing axle tires is studied. Testing was conducted that involved initiating a sudden air-loss event by creating a hole in the sidewall of the tire. The handling response of the vehicle was documented with on-board instrumentation and on-board and off-board video.