The static and dynamic axial collapse of fibreglass composite automotive frame rails

An automotive frame rail of hourglass cross-section, made of a glass fibre/ vinylester composite, was designed for use in the apron construction of the car in order to obtain a high degree of crashworthiness at this location of the car body. The crashworthy behaviour of this structural component in axial compression at various strain rates (head-on collision) was studied experimentally. The modes of collapse at macroscopic scale, the microscopic...