A Design-Analysis Method for the Frontal-Crush Strength of Body Structures

A simplified design-analysis method is developed for estimating the ultimate load-carrying capacity and the associated collapse mechanism of a body structure subjected to a frontal crush load. The analysis is based on the principles of limit analysis; the computation scheme consists of repeated stepwise analyses for each incremental load, and repeated searching for the collapse mechanism which requires the least load (the collapse load). Very good agreement was obtained between analysis and crush-test results of production body structures.

This design analysis method provides a simple and direct means for design engineers to evaluate the effect of design variations on the body crush strength.