IMPACT: Improved failure prediction for advanced crashworthiness of transportation vehicles

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 99.0271

Key words (English)

Crash-simulation; failure prediction; lightweight materials;
Environmental Protection; Safety; Transport

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: G3RD-2000-00186

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.3.3 Land transport and marine technologies

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: Audi AG, Ingolstadt (D)

Abstract (English)

Crashworthiness simulation has been a major factor that has enabled automotive manufacturers to achieve a 30 to 50% reduction in development time and costs over the past five years. Today, crashworthiness simulation is a mature and proven technology for the development of conventional 'ductile' steel automotives. However, demand for greater weight saving and crashworthiness protection will only been possible using new design concepts and employing lightweight materials that have limited ductility and a complex failure. The present crashworthiness codes cannot predict failure in materials or jointing systems, which has raised serious uncertainties over their resultants. In order to avoid a return to a ' prototype based design' and to maintain the high level of safety achieved in recent years there is an urgent need to improve the failure prediction capatabilities of crashworthiness simulation codes. Advanced metals (High strength Steels, Aluminium and Magnesion) and Plastic trim that must absorb occupant impact will be used to develop the generic failure models. For jointing systems spotwelds, rivets and weldines will be studied and failure models validated. This proposal will develop validated design methodologies for the improved failure prediction of automotive structures under dynamic crash loading.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 99.0271