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The U.S. Army uses the root mean square and power spectral density of elevation to characterize road/terrain (off-road) roughness for durability. This paper describes research aimed toward improving these metrics. The focus is on taking previously developed metrics and applying them to mathematically generated terrains to determine how each metric discerns the relative roughness of the terrains from a vehicle durability perspective. Multiple terrains for each roughness level were evaluated to determine the variability for each terrain rating metric. One method currently under consideration is running a relatively simple, yet vehicle class specific, model over a given terrain and using predicted vehicle response(s) to classify or characterize the terrain.

The U.S. Army uses the root mean square and power spectral density of elevation to characterize road/terrain (off-road) roughness for durability. This paper describes research aimed toward improving these metrics. The focus is on taking previously developed metrics and applying them to mathematically generated terrains to determine how each metric discerns the relative roughness of the terrains from a vehicle durability perspective. Multiple terrains for each roughness level were evaluated to determine the variability for each terrain rating metric. One method currently under consideration is running a relatively simple, yet vehicle class specific, model over a given terrain and using predicted vehicle response(s) to classify or characterize the terrain.

This paper presents the results of wind tunnel experiments in which force and moment data were measured for a variety of passenger and recreational vehicles in the presence of an intercity bus and a tractor plus semitrailer truck. The disturbed vehicles studied include a sedan, station wagon, compact sedan, van, truck/camper, and station wagon towing a trailer. A description of the apparatus is given along with details of the scale models used. Basic lateral-directional aerodynamic data for the passenger vehicles alone are shown for yaw angles up to 105 deg. Force and moment data for the vehicles in the presence of the disturbing truck or bus are shown for varying lateral separation and longitudinal positions of the two vehicles, as well as the relative crosswind angle. Critical conditions for a large disturbance due to a truck or bus are discussed.