Large School Bus Design Vehicle Dimensions

摘要

A survey of United States school bus operators and manufacturers was conducted to211u001edefine the larger sizes of school buses in regular use. A mid-60 passenger type-c 211u001ebus (SB-C) and a mid-80 passenger type-D bus (SB-D) were selected as design 211u001evehicles. Both the dimensions (length, width, etc.) and the trace of turning path 211u001eswept through 90 degrees and 180 degrees right turns were measured. During field 211u001etests, these school buses made turns somewhat sharper than those of the AASHTO 211u001edesign single unit or bus vehicles. Simulation methods such as computer-generated 211u001etemplates replicate the field turns fairly well in mid-turn, but do not well 211u001ereplicate the spiral at the end of a turn. The long overhang of these school bus 211u001edesign vehicles allows the outer rear corner of the vehicle to swing outside the 211u001ewheel path at the beginning of a turn, and therefore be a design consideration in 211u001esome situations. Recommended SB-C and SB-D turning path templates were developed 211u001eand presented.