Analysis of car body structures

The requirement to develop lighter vehicle structures arose as a result of the rapidly rising price of oil. The weight of a vehicle makes a considerable contribution to the power required to propel it and therefore the quantity of fuel used. The work presented here is an investigation into the analysis of the components of a vehicle structure, with the aim of obtaining a greater understanding of their behaviour. This knowledge is then applicable to the design of lighter structures made from an assembly of the components studied. [Continues.]