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The present paper outlines basic material models for composite strength and failure analysis, based on ESI's PAM-FISS/Bi-Phase composite material model. The new material models have been ported into the PAM-CRASH™ crashworthiness simulation code and applied to the crashworthiness simulation of axially compressed box columns made of hybrid Carbon-Kevlar-Aramid sandwich walls. After calibration of the models on laboratory coupon tests and validation on simple component crash tests, the methodology can be used to predict the crash behaviour of a prototype passenger car compartment structure, made entirely of composite sandwich material.

The paper describes an engineering project carried out to optimize the crashworthiness of an existing passenger car for frontal crash using a procedure relying on numerical simulation. An optimization target is defined in terms of an ideal acceleration pulse at the seats anchors. The acceleration time history and structural members are scanned in parallel to correlate the local acceleration peaks to specific structural members. Members details are iteratively modified in order to alter the accelerations and get closer to the target.