Computationally Informed Methodologies for Capturing the Effect of Intervening Structures during Truck Impact Events

A measured, multi-step approach involving detailed computational modeling and the development of simplified design approaches for estimating the effect of vehicle-column impact is proposed. It is likely that more than one phase may be required to produce an implementable procedure for design. The results of the first phase (this proposal) will allow the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) design engineers to quantifiably assess the current approach. In this first phase, a suitable set of validation experimental data will be identified and transient dynamics finite element (FE) models representing this experimental data will be developed. The National Crash Analysis Center (NCAC) truck models (housed in electronic repository) will be utilized for developing the model of the truck itself. Suitable experiments will be those that include the appropriate vehicle classes and similar impacted structures. The FE models will be executed and validated against the experimental data with careful consideration paid to the sources of uncertainty in both the model and the experiment. These models will then be used to quantify the energy associated with 1) impacts into a rigid structure and 2) a rigid structure with deformable intervening structures that will reduce the energy transferred to the rigid structure. Comparing these two types of simulations will permit an estimation of the benefit of intervening structures. Since the hypothetically impacting vehicle must first pass through a vehicle barrier, it can be assumed that the vehicle barrier is failed. Yield line theory describes the behavior of under reinforced concrete elements where energy is dissipated primarily by plastic deformation in the reinforcement. Yield line analysis of the vehicle barrier will likely also help to estimate the energy dissipated and reduce the demand on the column.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $53135
• Contract Numbers:

  K-TRAN: KSU-20-5

  RE-0791-01

  C2146

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Kansas Department of Transportation

  Eisenhower State Office Building
  700 SW Harrison Street
  Topeka, KS  United States  66603-3754
• Project Managers:

  Ruby, Jeff

• Performing Organizations:

  Kansas State University Transportation Center

  Kansas State University
  Department of Civil Engineering
  Manhattan, KS  United States  66506
• Principal Investigators:

  Jones, Christopher

  Rasheed, Hayder

• Start Date: 20190811
• Expected Completion Date: 20210225
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Columns; Design engineering; Dissipation; Finite element method; Impact loads; Mathematical models; Methodology; Rigid structures; Truck crashes
• Identifier Terms: Kansas Department of Transportation
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01751170
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Kansas Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: K-TRAN: KSU-20-5, RE-0791-01, C2146
• Files: RiP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 1 2020 1:25PM