Experimental Finite Elements 2009-01-0083

Vehicle body structure designs include finite element analyses and vehicle physical tests providing information to confirm the analytical simulations results. Contemporary finite element (FE) software comprises FEs (referred as analytical FEs) developments based on assumptions and hypotheses which might require experimental confirmation both of analyses results and sufficiency of selected analytical FEs. Experimental FEs presented in this paper provide the capabilities of more objective analytical simulation results confirmations. Experimental FEs are developed based on Structural Mechanics and Mathematical Statistics theories and on the experience of special strain gages sets usage during implementations of the Thin-Walled Beam theory in automotive vehicle structure analyses implementations.