Structural Design Considerations for Aluminum Bumpers

The 1980 requirements for bumpers limit the damage that may be sustained in 8 km/h (5 mph) pendulum and barrier impacts. This paper covers four items of interest for design of one-piece aluminum bumpers: (1) properties of alloys, (2) dent resistance, (3) beam strength, (4) relative behavior of aluminum and steel.

Static and dynamic tests are used to define the effects of yield strength and thickness on denting. Finite element calculations agree well with the results of dynamic bending tests of bumpers. Data presented also show that the strain rates during beam bending are low. Relative weights of aluminum and steel bumpers are defined.