International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems · 2017 · 10 citations · 0 references
EngineeringAutomotive EngineeringCivil EngineeringApplied MechanicsStructural AnalysisStructural EngineeringLoad AnalysisLoad Path AnalysisLoad Path DesignLoad TransferStructural LoadsStructural Performance AnalysisExperimental ValidationIndex TheoryLightweight StructuresLightweight Vehicle StructureLoad Path EngineeringLoad Transfer AnalysisLoad Transfer DistributionStructural Load Paths
Engineering structures are designed to transfer external loads to their supports. Therefore, it is necessary to study the pattern of load transfer. The U<SUP align="right"><SMALL>*</SMALL></SUP> index method has been introduced to follow the load path in the structure. The U<SUP align="right"><SMALL>*</SMALL></SUP> value at each point corresponds to its significance in the load carrying process. The U<SUP align="right"><SMALL>*</SMALL></SUP> index theory has been used as a new design approach in lightweight vehicle structures but there has not been any experimental validation of this theory. In this study, two experiments are presented to show that the U<SUP align="right"><SMALL>*</SMALL></SUP>index is a true indicator of load transfer in the structure and areas with higher U<SUP align="right"><SMALL>*</SMALL></SUP> index values indeed carry more load. The results also prove the insensitivity of the U<SUP align="right"><SMALL>*</SMALL></SUP> index to stress concentrations. This study presents the first experimental validation of the U<SUP align="right"><SMALL>*</SMALL></SUP> index theory which is important to this new approach for light-weight vehicle structural design.