Consideration and verification of the way in which load paths will be distributed throughout the structures under various loading conditions is an important element in the design of automotive body structures. Furthermore, given the tendency that load-path distribution becomes denser where coupling rigidity is high irrespective of the loading conditions, it is conjectured that similarities exist in the load-path distributions even under differing loading conditions.The research discussed in this paper therefore conducted a comparative analysis of two methods for identifying load paths: using U*sum, which functions as an indicator of the distribution of load paths in body structures, and using stress. The difference between the two methods was clarified, and the distribution of load paths when four different loading conditions were applied to automotive body structures was studied. As a result, it was demonstrated that using U*sum, load-path distributions can be visually analyzed employing less indicators than was the case when using stress. In addition, the level of similarity of load-path distribution to distribution in other loading conditions was high for torsional loading conditions in which load paths are distributed throughout the structure as a whole.
Article of Honda R&D Technical Review Vol.23 No.1 (80 - 89)