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Abstract
Among all types of vehicle accidents, rollover crashes are the most complex and least understood. During the last decades, a constant increase in the number of studies involving rollover crashes and injuries associated with it can be observed. The existing experimental standards and procedures to test rollover crashworthiness are still not suitable for direct computer simulation because of the huge computational effort required, and the need of faithful/overly complex representation of the aspects involved in actual crashes. Yet, numerical simulation plays a key role in keeping the design cost low and in delivering reliable structural predictions. The objective of the present work is to show a numerical methodology adapted to simulate three different procedures commonly used to assess vehicle roof strength. The models refer to commercial versions of a compact car and a sport utility vehicle. Results for roof crushing, normal ground force as well as other variables are compared, and the advantages/disadvantages of each standard are discussed and criticised. It was verified that one of the most used design procedures is not representative of realistic rollover phenomena, further supporting a recent change in it.