Automotive accident reconstruction: practices and principles
Struble, Donald E.Unknown
CRC Press (Boca Raton, FL, 2014) (eng) English9781466588370Ground vehicle engineering seriesUnknownTRAFFIC ACCIDENTS; UnknownAutomotive Accident Reconstruction: Practices and Principles introduces techniques for gathering information and interpreting evidence, and presents computer-based tools for analyzing crashes. This book provides theory, information and data sources, techniques of investigation, an interpretation of physical evidence, and practical tips for beginners. It also works as an ongoing reference for experienced reconstructionists. The book emphasizes three things: the theoretical foundation, the presentation of data sources, and the computer programs and spread sheets used to apply both theory and collected data in the reconstruction of actual crashes.
It discusses the specific requirements of reconstructing rollover crashes, offers background in structural mechanics, and describes how structural mechanics and impact mechanics are applied to automobiles that crash. The text explores the treatment of crush energy when vehicles collide with each other and with fixed objects. It delves into various classes of crashes, and simulation models. The framework of the book starts backward in time, beginning with the analysis of post-crash vehicle motions that occurred without driver control.
Applies time-reverse methods, in a detailed and rigorous way, to vehicle run-out trajectories, utilizing the available physical evidence
Walks the reader through a collection of digital crash test data from public sources, with detailed instructions on how to process and filter the information
Shows the reader how to build spread sheets detailing calculations involving crush energy and vehicle post-crash trajectory characteristics
Contains a comprehensive treatment of crush energy
This text can also serve as a resource for industry professionals, particularly with regard to the underlying physics.
Physical dimension
xviii, 471 p.24 cm.ill.
Summary / review / table of contents
1. General principles --
2. Tire models --
3. Subdividing noncollision trajectories with splines --
4. A program for reverse trajectory calculation using splines --
5. Time-distance studies --
6. Vehicle data sources for the accident reconstructionist --
7. Accident investigation --
8. Getting information from photographs --
9. Filtering impluse data --
10. Digital filters for airbag applications --
11. Obtaining NHTSA crash test data --
12. Processing NHTSA crash test acceleration data --
13. Analyzing crash pulse data --
14. Downloading and analyzing NHTSA load cell barrier data --
15. Rollover forensics --
16. Rollover analysis --
17. Vehicle structure crash mechanics --
18. Impact mechanics --
19. Uniaxial collisions --
20. Momentum conservation for central collisions --
21. Assessing the crush energy --
22. Measuring vehicle crush --
23. Reconstructing coplanar collisions, including energy dissipation --
24. Checking the results in coplanar collision analysis --
25. Narrow fixed-object collisions --
26. Underride/override collisions --
27. Simulations and other computer programs.