Effects of Cont Rail Joint Type on Bus Rollover Crashworthiness

Three finite element models of bus with difference types of cant rail joint were developed and the rollover crashworthiness of buses was simulated by LS_DYNA according to ECE R66. The calculation technique was validated by the tests of three separate specimens, which were extracted from the bus superstructure. The velocity of bus just before impact for rollover, were calculated using ADAMS software and then used as initial condition for the LS_DYNA analysis. No intrusion was found in the residual space of three bus models during rollover test simulation. The energy absorbing capacity and distortion configuration were investigated. The simulation results shown that the cont rail joint structure played an important part in energy absorbing during bus rollover accident, and would contribute to some design guidelines for bus rollover crashworthiness.