Vehicle Structures Experimental Analyses

This paper is a summary of previous developments, publications and usage of special strain gages sets (referred to here as experimental finite elements, FEs) in experimental analyses of vehicle structures. The experimental FEs developments were based on Structural Mechanics, Math Statistic theories and experience of their applications in vehicle structures analyses and tests. The summary’s objective is to describe the LS-DYNA® optional participation in experimental analyses by using experimental FEs for confirmation of analytical simulation results. Currently LS- DYNA (and its pre and post processors) have enough capability to use experimental measurement results for analytical results confirmations. However not always LS-DYNA users are familiar with the details of strain gage technology, and experimental specialists are not always familiar with the details of LS-DYNA usage of measured strains. Experimental FEs in LS-DYNA would provide a bridge between those analytical and experimental technologies. LS-DYNA users would be able to generate experimental FEs based on a vehicle structure analytical FEs model simulations results and defining structure’s areas needed the simulation results experimental confirmations. That information and information specifying types of strain gages and rosettes and their locations on a vehicle structure under tests may be provided by the LS-DYNA users to experimental specialists. Based on that information the experimental specialists will conduct the structure tests and provide to the LS-DYNA users the required types and amount of strain gage measurements results.