U24: Heavy Truck Rollover Characterization (Phase C) Final Report

Abstract

The Heavy Truck Rollover Characterization (HTRC) Program is a major research effort conducted by the National Transportation Research Center, Inc. (NTRCI) in partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Michelin Americas Research Company (MARC or Michelin), Western Michigan University (WMU), Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), LBT, Inc. (LBT), Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems (Hendrickson), and Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems (Bendix). This research is one of the major projects conducted by the NTRCI in its role as a University Transportation Center (UTC) for the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This research also involved, via subcontract, Volvo Trucks North America, Inc., and Link Commercial Vehicle Testing, Inc. (Link). In addition, Clemson University – International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) contributed technically to this effort. This work is the final in a series of studies funded by NTRCI to characterize the roll behavior of heavy vehicles and develop computer simulation models to explain that behavior. This phase continued the development and validation of models and included experiments with changes in semitrailer suspension design. Previous studies have explored the behavior of a van semitrailer, a flatbed semitrailer, and a tank semitrailer. Initiated in 2004, the HTRC Program has identified and studied designs and technologies having a potential to improve the roll stability and safety of heavy-duty tractor-trailer combinations. These options have included design changes including wider tire spacing and a lower center of gravity (CG) of the trailer; components such as New Generation Wide Base Single (NGWBS) Tires; and technologies such as tractor and trailer electronic stability control (ESC) systems. The long-term goal of the effort is to develop a concept for a completely new highway vehicle (class- 8 tractor-semitrailer) in which all of the components affecting stability have been designed and optimized to function as a system to improve stability.