How Should I Measure Vehicle Deformation Depth?

Abstract

Determination of deformation energy is an integral part of the accident analysis. Deformation energy could be expressed by parameter EES, which could directly enter the calculation or serve as a control parameter. To determine the EES parameter, it is necessary to know the depth of plastic deformation. There is a lack of standardization in the process of deformation profile determination, because several mathematical models focus on the deformation profile according to established procedures, or the deformation depth is measured along the entire width of the deformation using evenly spaced points. Equal spacing of measurement points can be an unnecessary restriction when documenting traffic accident on accident scene. In the presented article, the differences between equal and non-equal spacing of measurement points and the subsequent influence on the EES calculation are analyzed. Statistical analysis confirmed that equal non-equal distribution of measurement points does not cause significant differences in the determined EES value, so equal spacing is not required. The non-equal spacing could better approximate the deformation profile including subsequent calculation of the EES value, when following certain rules.Determination of deformation energy is an integral part of the accident analysis. Deformation energy could be expressed by parameter EES, which could directly enter the calculation or serve as a control parameter. To determine the EES parameter, it is necessary to know the depth of plastic deformation. There is a lack of standardization in the process of deformation profile determination, because several mathematical models focus on the deformation profile according to established procedures, or the deformation depth is measured along the entire width of the deformation using evenly spaced points. Equal spacing of measurement points can be an unnecessary restriction when documenting traffic accident on accident scene. In the presented article, the differences between equal and non-equal spacing of measurement points and the subsequent influence on the EES calculation are analyzed. Statistical analysis confirmed that equal non-equal distribution of measurement points does not cause significant differences in the determined EES value, so equal spacing is not required. The non-equal spacing could better approximate the deformation profile including subsequent calculation of the EES value, when following certain rules.