Publications

Publications

Numerical Simulation of Jumbo Jet Impacting on Thick Concrete Walls

By M. Katayama, M. Itoh, R. Rainsberger.

This study uses three-dimensional numerical simulations in AUTODYN®-3D to analyze the impact of a Boeing 747 on reinforced and non-reinforced concrete walls of varying thickness. It evaluates structural response, material failure, and damage patterns, offering insights into impact-resistant design and computational modeling of high-velocity impacts.

Analysis of Aircraft Impacts into the World Trade Center Towers

This report analyzes the structural damage caused by the Boeing 767 impacts on the World Trade Center Towers as part of the NIST investigation. Using advanced finite element modeling, it assesses exterior wall, core column, and floor system damage, as well as fuel and debris dispersion, providing insights into fire spread and collapse initiation.

Baseline Structural Preformance and Aircraft Impact Damage Analysis of the World Trade Center Towers

F. Sadek, NIST.

This report analyzes the structural performance and aircraft impact damage of the World Trade Center Towers as part of the NIST investigation into the September 11 attacks. It examines the towers’ original design under gravity and wind loads and assesses aircraft impact effects using computational modeling. The study evaluates structural response, localized failures, and fire-related weakening, providing insights into high-rise resilience and safety improvements.

A design optimization approach of vehicle hood for pedestrian protection

Costin D. Untaroiu, Jaeho Shin, Jeff R. Crandall

This study focuses on developing and validating a finite element model of a headform impactor for use in pedestrian head injury risk assessment. It then uses this model in an optimization problem to minimize underhood clearance while meeting safety requirements by adjusting parametric variables like connecting spool geometry and panel thicknesses.

Response Surface and Sensitivity-Based Optimization in LS-OPT: A Benchmark Study

Nielen Stander and K. J. Craig

This study benchmarks LS-OPT’s response surface and sensitivity-based optimization approach for parametric modeling, highlighting its utility in shape optimization. By constructing local linear approximations and applying an adaptive domain reduction scheme, the method achieves robust convergence on challenging design problems.