Abstract
Currently effective Rollover Protective Structure standards exist for Buses, Earthmoving Equipment and Agricultural Tractors. Construction guides for racing cars have also evolved. There are no well-recognised Rollover Protective System tests, standards or design guides for either Military or Civilian (4 Wheel Drive Vehicles) 4x4s. This paper presents a range of test protocols, procedures and demonstration methods that have been developed and used to evaluate and test Rollover Protective Structures for Military 4x4s. A dynamic test method developed by Exponent, Inc. is also examined. Based on the identified weaknesses of the above and the desire to develop a reproducible test method that simulates real world rollover crashes, a dynamic Rollover Protective System test is proposed. The proposed Test will enable evaluation of active safety systems, occupant restraints and structural performance via injury criteria developed for Anthropometric Test Dummies
(ATD). A feasibility study of the proposed test concept will be carried out via MADYMO modelling and ¼ scale structure modelling prior to physical build of the test facility,