The paper presents results from research efforts focused on possible crashworthiness and safety improvements of existing Breakaway Cable Terminals (BCT). A need for such improvements became evident from several full-scale crash tests and preliminary computational mechanics analyses. A nonlinear, dynamic, 3-D finite element code LS-DYNA was utilized in the study to identify problems in the existing BCT. Analytical data and actual crash test results led to the conclusion that the terminal is too stiff in the initial phase of the end-on impact. Acceleration histories provided an evidence of poor dissipation of vehicle kinetic energy among different parts of the BCT. The study was restricted to existing terminals and its primary objective was to improve the crashworthiness of the terminal during end-on impacts. An expected low cost-to-benefit ratio was also an important constraint in this research. Finite element models of 820C passenger car (Honda Civic) and 2000P pickup truck (Chevrolet C2500) were adopted as impactors.
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