Experimental validation of the U* index theory for load transfer analysis
by Khashayar Pejhan; Qingguo Wang; Christine Q. Wu; Igor Telichev
International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems (IJHVS), Vol. 24, No. 3, 2017

Abstract: Engineering structures are designed to transfer external loads to their supports. Therefore, it is necessary to study the pattern of load transfer. The U* index method has been introduced to follow the load path in the structure. The U* value at each point corresponds to its significance in the load carrying process. The U* index theory has been used as a new design approach in lightweight vehicle structures but there has not been any experimental validation of this theory. In this study, two experiments are presented to show that the U*index is a true indicator of load transfer in the structure and areas with higher U* index values indeed carry more load. The results also prove the insensitivity of the U* index to stress concentrations. This study presents the first experimental validation of the U* index theory which is important to this new approach for light-weight vehicle structural design.

Online publication date: Sat, 01-Jul-2017

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