Application of the Shock Response Spectrum to Some Automotive Crashworthiness Problems

The shock response spectrum is defined and applied to several areas of automotive design and crash test evaluation. An examination of the shock response spectra for several deceleration pulse shapes for vehicle front structure design indicates that there is no “best” input pulse applicable to all occupant/restraint systems. However, in the 8-12 Hz frequency range of current occupant/restraint systems, the square wave does appear to offer significant reduction in peak deceleration response for the fully-restrained occupant. The shock response spectrum method is also used to compare a velocity-sensitive versus constant-force front structure, deceleration data from different vehicles, and accelerometer data having different frequency limits. These examples illustrate that the shock response spectrum can be a useful tool for evaluating particular automotive crash data and for comparing the relative potential damage of deceleration pulses associated with different vehicle designs.