Development and Evaluation of a C-1500 Pick-Up Truck Model for Roadside Hardware Impact Simulation

Abstract

A detailed multi-purpose finite element model of a 1994 Chevrolet C-1500 pick-up truck was developed at the FHWA/NHTSA National Crash Analysis Center. The model is the first of its kind developed specifically to address vehicle safety issues, including front and side performance, as well as road side hardware design. In addition a reduced version of the C-1500 detailed model was developed as a "bullet" model to test various components of the detailed model. These simulations are conducted in support of research studies undergoing at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to investigate vehicle compatibility, new offset barrier tests, and highway/vehicle safety issues. Full scale vehicle crash tests conducted by NHTSA and FHWA are used for evaluation of the performance of the model. Two tests are compared, a frontal impact with a full rigid wall and a corner impact to a 42-inch Vertical Concrete Median. The comparisons be...