Search Results

The current capabilities of PC-Crash for rollover modeling are discussed and suggestions are made for how PC-Crash might be improved for modeling rollovers. ...This paper evaluates the use of PC-Crash simulation software for modeling the dynamics of a dolly rollover crash test. The specific test used for this research utilized a Ford sport utility vehicle and was run in accordance with SAE J2114. ...Next, the test was modeled using PC-Crash. The simulation was optimized to yield a reasonable fit with the actual test dynamics by changing the following parameters in PC-Crash: (1) the friction coefficient associated with each vehicle-to-ground impact; (2) the coefficient of restitution for vehicle-to-ground impacts; (3) the vehicle body stiffness; and (4) the vehicle suspension and damping.

The research reported here offers a validation of this capability, demonstrating that PC-Crash can be used to realistically model the build-up of a vehicle's speed under maximal acceleration. ...In the research reported here, PC-Crash 9.0 was used to model the full-throttle acceleration capabilities of three vehicles with automatic transmissions - a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI), a 2000 Cadillac DeVille DTS, and a 2003 Ford F150. ...In each case, the full-throttle acceleration of the vehicles modeled in PC-Crash showed good agreement with the acceleration of the real vehicles in our road tests.

The introduction of this model eliminated prior limitations that PC-Crash had for simulating motorcycle motion. Within PC-Crash, a user-defined path can be established for a motorcycle, and the software will generate motion consistent with the user-defined path (within the limits of friction and stability) and calculate the motorcycle lean (roll) generated by following that path at the prescribed speed, braking, or acceleration levels. ...However, the model again did not utilize counter-steering to generate lean, and so it is unlikely that the steering inputs generated by PC-Crash would match the real-world steering inputs. Still, the PC-Crash single-track driver model will yield results that are typically adequate for a crash reconstruction or visualization. ...This paper validates the single-track vehicle driver model available in PC-Crash simulation software. The model is tested, and its limitations are described. The introduction of this model eliminated prior limitations that PC-Crash had for simulating motorcycle motion.

PC-Crash is a vehicular accident simulation software that is widely used by the accident reconstruction community. ...The goal of this article is to review the prior literature that has addressed the capabilities of PC-Crash and its accuracy and reliability for various applications (planar collisions, rollovers, and human motion). ...In addition, this article aims to add additional analysis of the capabilities of PC-Crash for simulating planar collisions and rollovers. Simulation analysis of five planar collisions originally reported and analyzed by Bailey [2000] are reexamined.

The most general and comprehensive solution will be to use one of the widely-accepted accident reconstruction simulation programs - PC-Crash, HVE (the EDSMAC4 or SIMON modules), Virtual CRASH, or VCRware. However, these simulation programs can be time-consuming to apply and not everyone has access to them.