United States Department of Transportation
i
Improving transportation safety through motor vehicle crash testing.
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2006-07-01
[PDF-1.65 MB]
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Abstract:The Federal Outdoor Impact Laboratory (FOIL) is a fully equipped outdoor crash testing laboratory and research facility used to support the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Safety Research and Development (R&D) programs and other federally funded security initiatives. Researchers use the facility to extend their understanding of crash events by staging controlled, high-speed motor vehicle collisions. The facility typically is used to confirm the accuracy of computer-generated crash predictions. This ensures that tested roadside structures–structures that typically are located in close proximity to the Nation's roadways–function as intended when struck by a motor vehicle. Routine certification or compliance testing of roadside safety structures, including testing performed to ensure compliance with existing safety standards, is not conducted at the FOIL.
In addition to staged motor vehicle collisions, the FOIL is equipped with a large pendulum mass swinging from a support structure. This device enables researchers to conduct low-speed impact testing. Researchers also often use the pendulum to perform dynamic-impact testing of structural components. This type of testing provides researchers with information and data to help improve the accuracy of computer-generated vehicle collisions.
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