Mitigation of loading on personnel in light-armored vehicles using small model testing

Abstract

Death and injury are a major problem when military personnel are riding in a vehicle which is struck by the detonation forces from a buried mine. This chapter presents the results from small-scale testing aimed at reducing the forces on vehicle occupants due to the detonation of a buried mine. With the recent deployment of mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles by the United States Department of Defense (DOD) the mortality rates have dropped dramatically. The very large acceleration forces on the body, however, still result in major injury to vehicle occupants-especially brain injury. The aim of this research is to find ways to reduce the forces on the occupants such that major injury can be avoided. Various methods of mitigating forces are examined and the results are compared from the standpoint of acceleration, jerk, and head injury criterion (HIC).