College Of Science Researchers Studying Safety Risk Of Occupant Compartment Damage During Crashes
Dhafer Marzougui, Associate Professor, Physics and Astronomy, College of Science; Chung-Kyu Park, Research Assistant Professor, Center for Collision Safety and Analysis, College of Science; Fadi Tahan, Research Assistant Professor, Center for Collision Safety and Analysis, College of Science; Rudolf Reichert, Research Assistant Professor, Center for Collision Safety and Analysis, College of Science; and Cing-Dao Kan, Professor/Director, Center for Collision Safety and Analysis; College of Science, received funding for the project: “Safety Risk of Occupant Compartment Damage During Crashes.”
The researchers are studying the evaluation criteria for occupant compartment deformations and penetrations and updating these criteria, as needed, based on the findings.
The team plans to leverage data from four primary sources: (1) real-world crash data with detailed vehicle damage information, (2) previously conducted crash tests, (3) computer simulations conducted as part of the proposed study, and (4) and full-scale impact testing conducted as part of the proposed study.
“This research will help establish improved testing standards for roadside hardware, leading to optimized designs that enhance performance without imposing additional burdens on testing requirements. As a result, roadside hardware manufacturers can achieve higher safety standards without increased cost of compliance,” Marzougui said.
The researchers received $750,000 from the National Academy of Sciences on a subaward from the Federal Highway Administration for this project. Funding began in Aug. 2024 and will end in Aug. 2027.
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