The Construction Department of Rijkswaterstaat has commissioned SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research to carry out simulations supporting the designing process of a newly-developed vehicle deflecting TRIANGLE. The purpose of developing the TRIANGLE is to achieve a vehicle deflection that complies with the H4b level, as described in the NEN standard 1317-2. In addition, there is a deceleration requirement concerning the colliding vehicle. This is expressed in terms of the ASI (Acceleration Severity Index) score. The requirement is that the ASI score of test TB11 (collision with a car) may not exceed 1.0. Furthermore, the outward bending of test TB81 (collision with an articulated lorry) may not exceed 1-1.5 meters. All three TRIANGLE designs have been studied, by simulating tests TB11 and TB81. The simulations were carried out using the VEDYAC (VEhicle DYnamics And Crash dynamics) computer simulation program. The third design was developed from the experiences of testing the first two designs. Based on the simulation results, it was concluded that the third design (the TRIANGLE with a hinge) complies with the criteria established beforehand. It is recommended that, first of all, a short (10 metre) length of the TRIANGLE with hinge be manufactured and tested. If the result of this test is positive, the design should be tested at full-scale.
Abstract