Vehicle Crashworthiness Facility at the Zablocki VA Medical Center
The Vehicle Crashworthiness Facility maintains the ability to conduct full-scale-vehicle crash and includes a 150-meter-long track, 30-by-24-meter crash test area, and an anchored reaction mass.
Facility Equipment
The Crash Area
The Crash Area
The crash area is equipped with 4-by-2-by-3-meter reinforced concrete structures above and below ground and includes a 3-meter-deep, below-ground pit for viewing under-vehicle dynamics during impact, as well as multiple high-speed video cameras, onboard digital data acquisition systems, and a battery-enabled 160,000-Watt illumination system.
The Calibration Room
The Calibration Room
The facility includes a temperature and humidity-controlled anthropomorphic test device (ATD, or crash test dummy) calibration room with apparatus for head, neck, abdomen, torso, and lower limb ATD response quantification. Capabilities include calibration equipment for the new WorldSID and THOR ATDs. In-house ATDs include the Hybrid-III 50th male, 5th female, and 3-year-old child, EuroSID, SID-2s, and Q3s.
The Vehicle Cable Tow System
The Vehicle Cable Tow System
The vehicle cable tow system includes a 200 hp DC motor, cable tensioning apparatus, and custom-designed DC controller system.
The Vehicle Prep Area
The Vehicle Prep Area
The vehicle prep area includes a fully-equipped machine shop with designated space for welding and CNC milling.