The occupant injuries in the side impact crash and rollover are more severe than those in frontal impacts as the occupant is partially or fully ejected through the side window and comes in contact with foreign objects such as poles, trees, other vehicles, etc. Since ejections are mainly caused by failure of side window glass conventionally made of tempered glass, the vehicle side window glass is increasingly being replaced with laminated glazing by the automotive industry. Laminated glass does not break upon impact and helps in keeping the occupant from ejecting out of the car in side impact or rollover. In this research, the impact injury potential to the human head is studied and quantified for both tempered glass and laminated glass windows. First, the finite element (FE) models of tempered glass and laminated glass are developed in Hypermesh. These FE models are quasi-statically tested with a hybrid III dummy free-motion head-form (FMH). Force versus displacement graphs are plotted and validated with the results obtained from a physical static experiment. A series of impact test simulations are conducted on both tempered and laminated glass with the H-III FMH at varying impact speeds. Acceleration and the head injury criteria (HIC) values are determined for each impact test simulation. The simulations clearly indicate that the tempered glass fails upon impact and the FMH ejects; however the laminated glass does not break and contains the FMH. A second series of impact test simulations involve a FE model of a rigid pole placed behind the two glass types to study the secondary head impacts. The results show that the tempered glass breaks and allows head to strike the pole with high head injury potential, whereas the laminated glass contains the head. Based on the results, this study demonstrates the laminated glass acts as a shield between the occupant and the surrounding objects and protects the occupant from ejecting.

Vehicle occupants involved in automobile side impact crashes are three times more likely to experience head injuries than occupants involved in frontal or other types of collisions. The most frequent contact source for an occupant in side impact crashes is the side window. In side impacts, failure of the side window glass affects the potential for the occupant head injury. Tempered glass in side window is easily shattered by exposing the occupant head into environment, where it can be directly impacted by the intruding or striking vehicle. In order to reduce the injury potential for occupant head in a collision, windows with laminated glass have been developed, which are gradually replacing the tempered glass. This study is mainly focused on understanding the dynamic response of the human head in side impact scenarios, when the tempered glass in the side windows is replaced with laminated glass. Quasi-static experiments are performed in this study with a free-motion headform impacting a laminated glass. The laminated glass is composed of two layers of glass separated by Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) interlayer. A Finite Element (FE) model of the laminated glass window is created and impacted with the FE headform at the same velocity as in the experiment, and the model is validated against experimental results. The properties of validated glass model are implemented into the side windows of a small car model to determine the performance of laminated glass in a typical side impact scenario. The responses of the occupant with the tempered and laminated glazing with and without restraints are compared. Based on the performance of the laminated glazing in side impact scenario, the laminated glass has shown to reduce the possibility of failure of the glass and thus contains the occupant from ejecting with virtually no change in injury potential values.

This book addresses one of the most important components for pedestrian safety in vehicles – laminated windshields. It includes detailed real-world material characterization results for laminated glass and testing methodologies, constitutive models, and step-by-step numerical simulation modeling and simulation methods. As such, the book provides readers a thorough understanding of the mechanical behaviors of laminated glass and windshields. It also presents fundamental test data, analysis methodologies and essential insights into laminated glass safety design and mechanical behavior prediction. The book addresses the needs of researchers, engineers and postgraduate students in the fields of automotive engineering, mechanical engineering and related areas.

The ability to remove a trapped victim from a vehicle or other machinery is vital for fire and rescue personnel. Based on the 2008 edition of NFPA 1006, Standard for Technical Rescuer Professional Qualifications, this text provides rescue technicians with the knowledge and step-by-step technical instruction needed to fully understand all aspects of vehicle extrication incidents. Vehicle Extraction: Levels I & II: Principles and Practice: Addresses the latest hybrid and all-electric vehicles, such as the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf, Provides extensive coverage of agricultural extrication for incidents involving tractors and other machinery, and Includes National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reports, where applicable, to stress safety and lessons learned. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book is missing some of the images or content found in the physical edition.