Validation of Impact-Absorbing Pavement Under Head Oblique Impacts

Authors: Qi Huang, Zhou Zhou, Chengbin Li, Svein Kleiven, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden; Christina Makoundou, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Cesare Sangiorgi, University of Bologna, Italy

Abstract

Head injuries are an increasing public health concern. Although motor-vehicle injuries have steadily declined in Sweden, casualties among vulnerable road users (VRUs) continue to rise. Inspired by playground surfaces, impact-absorbing pavement (IAP) has been developed to enhance public safety, mitigate injury severity, and promote sustainable reuse of end-of-life tires. This study developed and validated a finite element (FE) model of IAP to evaluate head response during oblique impact. Compression tests at multiple strain rates and 45° oblique impact tests using a Hybrid III headform were conducted. Simulations showed strong agreement with experimental peak angular velocity (PAV) while the peak linear acceleration (PLA) was overestimated. Under the constraints of lab setup, small-scale IAP samples exhibited promising head protection, and a further 10% reduction in PLA with increased diameter indicates that IAP could provide better head protection under real-world conditions. 

Type: Short Communication

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