VTI conducts stability and rollover testing on heavy vehicles. The tests are mainly designed for buses, but testing can also be performed on lorries, fire engines, and agricultural machinery.
Stability testing
The test is non-destructive and is mainly designed for buses according to E.U. Directive 2001/85/EC. The Directive requires that buses must pass through a lateral gradient of at least 28 degrees from the horizontal plane without tipping over. The test equipment consists of three separate hydraulic tilting bridges used to determine the angle of tipping. The equipment allows testing of three-axle vehicles with optional inter-axle distance.
Rollover testing
In this case the test is destructive; it is intended to determine the strength of the vehicle body, according to EU Directive 2001/85/EC. In the test, the vehicle is tipped sideways onto a hard surface from a specified height. The deformation of the vehicle body is analyzed with regard to penetration into the passenger compartment. In this way, the practical strength of the vehicle body can be determined. The test was developed mainly for buses, but can also be used for other heavy vehicles.