Vehicle body layout and analysis

Vehicle body design is generally regarded as a "loose" discipline, and a wide variety of approaches have been made to analysing different sections of the vehicle structure. This book sets out to acquaint the designer with the most useful approach to suit his needs and thus provides resumes of different methods obtained from a wide range of sources all referenced for further reading. The work considers the preliminary concept stage of design in relation to the load envelope applying to the vehicle structure, then progresses to the layout of the elements dictated by factors which fix the basic shape. Following this is an examination of thin-walled beam and plate theory, an introduction to idealization technique, and a consideration of collapse behaviour under impact and fatigue loading. Two specialist chapters deal with designing for production and goods vehicle design. (TRRL)