ARA personnel in the Silicon Valley Office have been engaged in studying the crash response of vehicles and right-of-way structures and occupant safety since 1971. These studies included crash testing, analytical crash modeling, and detailed finite element simulations. This experience resulted in the Federal Highway Administration designating ARA as a Center of Excellence in Finite Element Crash Analysis.

Advances in numerical simulation techniques and computer capabilities have made crash simulations another important tool for investigating crash safety. The staff at the Silicon Valley Office of ARA are actively involved in the model development and simulation of vehicles, occupants, and roadside hardware for a variety of crash applications. Vehicle crash models include both highway and rail cars. Occupant models include both the detailed modeling of anthropomorphic crash dummies used in vehicle crash testing and development of simpler models to simulate the occupant kinematics in collisions. Roadside hardware models can be developed for either analysis of the vehicle collision response or for development of improved crash safety of the right-of-way structures. More detailed descriptions of specific crash safety programs are given in the pages below.

In addition to analyses of vehicle and occupant crash safety, ARA staff at the Silicon Valley Office are actively involved in solving problems for a wide range of transportation safety issues. These include the development of lightweight fragment barriers for protection from catastrophic aircraft engine failures and studies of high-speed train aerodynamics and resulting pressure loads on adjacent rail vehicles. More detailed descriptions of specific crash safety programs are given in the pages below.

For inquiries or comments, please contact:

Dr. Steven Kirkpatrick
Principal Engineer
e-mail: skirkpatrick@ara.com

Dr. Robert T. Bocchieri
Principal Engineer
e-mail: rbocchieri@ara.com