The Use of the Software PROSPER for Safety Study
BRIET ; CEREZO ; GOTHIE
Type de document
COMMUNICATION AVEC ACTES INTERNATIONAL (ACTI)
Langue
anglais
Auteur
BRIET ; CEREZO ; GOTHIE
Résumé / Abstract
The understanding of responsibilities of infrastructure in Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) accidents may help to improve safety on roads. An European project named VERTEC and managed by Pirelli Company is led in this aim.
Starting from bibliographic studies and from real accidents database, some critical situations closely linked to infrastructure can be detected. The case of a right curve is treated into the following paper. Simulations are realized with the software PROSPER in view of determining the influence of some parameters like crossfall, load or skid resistance on HGV behaviour. The speed limit and the limit of lateral acceleration before accident occurs are precisely studied. The simulations mainly aim at finding limits of use of the infrastructure.
Comparisons of the speed limit and the limit of acceleration are done for several crossfalls and loads. Considering the crossfall, the results show that with weak Sideway Force Coefficients (SFC), the crossfall has a moderated influence on the limits. However, the maximal speed and acceleration before accident tend to the same values for high SFC.
Considering the load, the simulations indicate the existence of a stage on the curves giving the speed limit and the limit of lateral acceleration as a function of the SFC. The stages seem to be independent of the load, which indicate that load does not play the main role in the mechanism of accident for a value of SFC up to 0,60.
Moreover, the software PROSPER is used in view of reconstructing some real accident situations. This approach aims at determining the influence of some road parameters on the mechanisms of accident by modifying step by step the values and studying the linear and angular accelerations of the truck.
The first results are relatively uncourageous but raise some questions as the degree of precision needed for the data. Other multidisciplinary investigations on real sites could improve and complete the simulations in view of defining rules for a safer road.
