Offset Crush Analysis and its Applications

Until recently, frontal crash analysis and tests were performed to predict the performance and behavior of cars to meet full frontal crash safety requirements. Little has been done so far to control the energy absorption during an offset frontal crash. This topic has become a very interesting and challenging issue since it will be included in the federal regulations in the coming years. In offset crash, the load is applied to one side of the front end, leaving the other side partially unloaded. In light of this situation, cross-members have to be carefully designed in order to absorb and safely transmit part of the offset crash load to the opposite side. This paper will describe the theoretical performance of the front structure under an offset crash and at the same time identify all related parameters that influence this behavior. A computerized analysis of the single, full and offset crash will be performed and results and comparisons will be tabulated and graphed.