Abstract

In PC-Crash 13.1 the MUSIAC (Multi Scale Impact and Crash) system, a software for multi-body simulation of road restraint systems (guard-rails and barriers), was implemented. The original software was developed by SPAT Srl, founded in 1977 by three professors of the Politecnico di Milano: Vittorio Giavotto, Luigi Puccinelli and Carlo Caprile. For the simulation of barriers and vehicles validated multibody models with deformable structural elements with non linear

behaviour and possible failure can be defined.

This paper presents the different calculation capabilities of this system. Element types, material models and contact models are described. Different validated barrier and vehicle types are available in a model library, the different models are discussed.

In the second part the results of some validation tests are compared with the results of the simulation. Using a multibody model to simulate road barriers provides an excellent compromise between calculation speed and modelling complexity as well as level of detail in the output. These factors are also discussed.