During the past year, the VTI Crash Safety Laboratory has been aiming for a possibility to expand its accredited test facility with the availability to perform crash tests involving heavy vehicles. Now this is possible. The Crash Safety Laboratory has recently performed its first heavy crash test. Read about it here!
Besides being a general technical achievement for the laboratory, the primary target is to be able to perform approval tests of guardrails and bridge parapets according to EN1317-2 for containment classes H1 and H2, i.e. vehicles up to 13,000 kg at speeds up to 70 km/h. For bridge constructions, a concrete beam 54 meters long, 1 meter of height and 0,6 meters wide has been cast below ground. Attached to this are prefabricated concrete beams representing the actual bridge construction.
The equipment
The new pulling hydraulic equipment has a traction force of about 45 kN. It is basically a hydraulic marine winch, to which a medium sized hydraulic pump with hydraulic accumulators has been attached to gain the necessary speed. The current capacity is to accelerate a 13,000 kg vehicle to 70 km/h over a distance of 120 meters. Accuracy is in the range of ±0,5 km/h. The construction is planned for future upgrades regarding speed and weight of vehicle.
The electronic guidance system ensures that the vehicle follows a control cable, if needed it is also possible to generate minor corrections of vehicle course. A security system will detect and control the vehicle's brakes in case of malfunction and also handle vehicle after impact.
A unique system
The propulsion system is the only of its kind in the Nordic countries, and in most of Europe . It certainly positions VTI as one of the leading roadside safety features test facilities, adding an extra dimension to the knowledge gained from more than 170 successful crash tests of similar roadside safety features over the past 10 years.
Two independent propulsions systems also raise interesting thoughts about arranging car to car crashes with both cars running. This, together with the previous facilities outdoors and indoors, aims towards a busy but interesting future for the Crash Safety Laboratory of VTI.