Title: Durability design process for truck body structures

Authors: Sridhar Srikantan, Shekar Yerrapalli, Hamid Keshtkar

Addresses: Truck CAE Department, DaimlerChrysler Corporation, 14250 Plymouth Road, Detroit, MI 48237, USA. Truck CAE Department, DaimlerChrysler Corporation, 14250 Plymouth Road, Detroit, MI 48237, USA. Truck CAE Department, DaimlerChrysler Corporation, 14250 Plymouth Road, Detroit, MI 48237, USA

Abstract: Durability plays a major role in the design of truck body structures due to the severe duty cycle they experience. Therefore, it is very useful to have up-front analytical tools to identify potential durability problems early in a vehicle program to provide better design direction. The yield-strength-based durability design process involves performing only stress analysis of truck body structures. This has its limitations with respect to making decisions on designs for durability performance. A durability design process involving fatigue analysis has been established for truck body structures. The advantages of this process over the yield-strength-based durability design process are significant in terms of reducing the design cycle time and producing an optimally designed structure.

Keywords: truck; design; durability; stress; fatigue.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2000.001885

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2000 Vol.23 No.1/2, pp.94-108

Published online: 18 Aug 2003 *

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