Full-scale rollover testing of commercial cargo-tank vehicles

Abstract

Tests were conducted in which a unit tank truck and a tractor-semitanker combination were subjected to full-scale rollovers. The unit truck was equipped with roll bars closely matching the profile of the vehicle and was rolled in four different manoeuvres of varying severity. The combination vehicle was rolled once in a very severe manoeuvre. The instrumentation used allowed detailed analysis of tank motions before, during, and after rollover. Summary results are presented for all five rollovers. Two of the rollover events, the least severe rollover of the unit truck and the rollover of the combination vehicle, are examined in great detail.