Frontal Impact Assessment of Driver Cabin in Bus Structure

Location
Structure Type
Software Used

Undisclosed Facility
Bus Driver Cabin
Abaqus

Objective

To evaluate the crashworthiness of a bus driver cabin under frontal impact in accordance with AIS-052 and ECE-R29 standards. The study involved nonlinear explicit dynamic analysis using Abaqus to verify whether the survival space for the driver is maintained after collision, thereby improving driver safety during high-speed frontal crashes.

Strain Plots : Primary Structure

Steering Wheel Travel

Intrusion Driver Body

Challenges

Aligning bus body specifications with both ECE-R29 dimensional and functional driver zone requirements. Simulating a 55 kJ frontal pendulum impact with proper representation of geometry, materials, and contact behavior. Preventing intrusion of non-resilient parts (e.g., steering wheel) into the survival space post-impact.

Solution

The bus driver cabin was modeled with detailed crash and non-crash zones using box and C-sections. A virtual crash test was performed with an impactor simulating ECE-R29 frontal crash energy. Abaqus was used for explicit dynamic analysis. Iterative designs with added cross ribs were introduced to reduce steering wheel displacement and angular tilt. The analysis helped refine structural performance to enhance occupant safety during frontal collision.

Result

The final design demonstrated significant improvements over the baseline model: Steering wheel displacement was minimized, ensuring it stayed clear of the driver manikin post-impact. Tilt angle reduction confirmed better energy absorption and structural distribution. No part failure was observed during the simulation, confirming the design met ECE-R29 safety criteria.

Key Results

The baseline design revealed insufficient stiffness in the front cross member, leading to steering wheel intrusion.
Design improvements with additional ribs significantly reduced steering column displacement and tilt.
Final design iterations showed no structural failure and improved driver survival space during frontal impact.