Study on the Crashworthiness of Model Bus Side Frame under Crushing Load

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate the crash energy absorption of bus side wall structure.Three patterns of bus wall frames which are generally used in Thailand were studied. They arehorizontally parallel joint, diagonally parallel joint and head-to-tail diagonal joint. The study wasconducted by using a finite element commercial code, ABAQUS/explicit. The wall frames werecrushed from the front and from the side. The results revealed the crashworthiness behavior of eachstructure. It was found that horizontal parallel joint had energy absorption capacity more than otherstructures. The result of this study is very crucial for further improvement of future bus structuredesign.