Roadside utility structures (cluster mailboxes and bus shelter) were assessed for occupant safety risk during vehicular crash based on MASH standards using non-linear finite element analysis with integration of Hybrid III dummy model, seatbelt restraint system, and airbag deployment system.
This project was sponsored by North Carolina Department of Transportation under Project No. 2018-24. This work was presented at the 15th US National Congress on Computational Mechanics (USNCCM15) at Austin, Texas.
Project Highlights
1. Full-scale finite element crash simulations were conducted in LS-DYNA following federal test standards and evaluation criteria.
2. Airbag deployment, dummy, seatbelt restraint system were considered for comprehensive understanding of occupant risks.
3. All studied new types of cluster mailboxes and bus shelters have passed federal test standards with eligibility to be widely installed in North Carolina.
Project Objective
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) needs to assess the occupant risk for roadside utility structures under vehicular impact in order to approve statewide installation of new types of cluster mailboxes and bus shelters.
Project Scope
Occupant Safety Assessment
The following attributes are assessed for occupant safety:
Head, chest, pelvis acceleration, HIC15;
Airbag deployment and engagement;
Occupant impact velocity (OIV);
Occupant ridedown acceleration (ORA);
Vehicle roll, pitch, yaw angles;
Vehicle and debris trajectories;
Occupant compartment intrusion;
Pedestrian protection.
CAE Showcase
The example of Toyota Yaris crushing into a bus shelter with 25° angle and 44 mph speed:
The example of Ford F150 crushing into a dual-unit cluster mailbox behind road curb with 25° angle and 31 mph speed:
Project Report
The full project report can be accessed from National Transportation Library, United States Department of Transportation.
Zheng Li 
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