Performance of a Rollover Protective Structure for a Bulldozer

Abstract

Rollover protective structures (ROPS) are safety devices fitted to heavy vehicles to provide protection to the operator during an accidental rollover. At present, ROPS design standards require full-scale destructive testing, which can be expensive, time consuming, and unsuitable for small companies. More economical analytical methods would require an understanding on postyield behavior and energy absorption capacity of ROPS. With this in mind, this paper treats a bulldozer ROPS using experimental and analytical techniques to generate research information that will enable development of analytical design guidance and enhance safety.