Confirmation of vehicle stability criteria through a combination of smoothed particle hydrodynamics and laboratory measurements

Abstract This study combines laboratory experiments and numerical modelling in a novel manner to assess vehicle stability. Assessing vehicle stability forms the basis of hazard classification criteria, which in turn helps in forming safety guidelines for stream crossings and planning of evacuation routes in times of floods. These criteria are based on theoretical and physical model studies carried out on different vehicle models. This article demonstrates the application of a numerical method to determine the vehicle stability threshold so that the need for a physical model study for each kind of vehicle may be avoided. The numerical investigation is performed using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) with the vehicle oriented perpendicular to the flow direction, as this is the most critical orientation. A physical model study is also performed and its results are used to validate the SPH model. The results confirm the current Australian Rainfall and Runoff (ARR) safety criteria for stationary vehicles. It also suggests that the ARR stability curve can shift depending on the road conditions that affect the vehicle's sliding mechanism.