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Title:

COMPARISON OF COLLISIONS OF RIGID TRUCKS AND ARTICULATED TRUCKS AGAINST ROAD SAFETY BARRIERS

Accession Number:

00824572

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

Transportation Research Board Business Office

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

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Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309072379

Abstract:

Heavy vehicles used for road transport are essentially rigid trucks, rigid trucks with trailers, and articulated trucks. A collision of such a vehicle against a safety barrier has different outcomes, depending on the vehicle characteristics, even when the impact energy (Ie) is the same. The factors responsible for the different behavior of rigid and articulated trucks during collision are addressed. The study, carried out by computer simulation, was divided into three parts. The first part compared the overall behavior of the two types of vehicles during collisions to detect the most responsible factors. In the second phase, the single features that characterize each type of vehicle were tested. The third phase tried to define a relationship between the two types of vehicles. Results from Tests TB81 and TB71, established by the European Committee for Standardization 1317, were compared. The results show that a collision of an articulated truck is less severe than one of a rigid truck because of greater length, suspension stiffness, inertia, and configuration. However, the difference in behavior depends on kinetic Ie and side-friction coefficient (SFC). Four analytical expressions were found that relate Ies producing the same maximum transversal displacements or vehicle roll angle for the two types of vehicles. The study concerning the European tests on safety barriers shows that a hierarchy exists between them and it depends on the SFC.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1779, Traffic Safety 2001: Americans with Disabilities Act; Driver and Vehicle Modeling; Situation Awareness; Licensing; Driver Behavior; Enforcement; Trucks; and Motorcycles.

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Authors:

GIAVOTTO, V
Pernetti, M

Pagination:

p. 141-149

Publication Date:

2001

Serial:

Transportation Research Record

Issue Number: 1779
Publisher: Transportation Research Board
ISSN: 0361-1981

ISBN:

0309072379

Features:

Figures (10) ; References (6) ; Tables (2)

Subject Areas:

Highways; Motor Carriers; Research; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety; I95: Vehicle Inspection

Files:

TRIS, TRB

Created Date:

Feb 13 2002 12:00AM

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