A Model Validation Methodology for Evaluating Rollover Resistance Performance of a Ford Commercial Vehicle

Rollover accidents are one of the most severe kinds of vehicle crashes, with a fatality rate higher than any other crash type [ 1 ]. Therefore, the rollover performance of a vehicle needs to be evaluated and improved, if necessary, before vehicle design is finalized. The objective of this paper is to present a correlation methodology of an ADAMS vehicle model of a commercial vehicle to static, quasi-static and dynamic behavior obtained from testing an actual program representative prototype. Achieving an acceptable level of correlation to physical test will allow this ADAMS model, with appropriate updates to production representative component data, to be used as the basis for assessing the rollover resistance performance of the vehicle.