Some Analytical Crashworthiness Studies of Automobile Front Structures

This paper presents an analytical study of the crashworthiness of automobile front structures. The unique features of the automobile structural crashworthiness which must be evaluated in a manner separate from that of other dynamic response problems are described. Using a computer program, studies were undertaken on a Model 2D2 automobile colliding with barriers at various speeds. Displacement and deceleration results correlated reasonably well with full-scale tests. This analysis has generated interest in studies with a three-dimensional structure which are currently underway.