The Traffic Accident Reconstruction Origin -ARnews-

Re: crush damage measurement

Wade Bartlett (wbartlett@ttlc.net)
Wed, 11 Dec 1996 00:14:25 -0500 (EST)

I can't find the SAE paper which described it, but I have seen a fairly simple
one fabricated from sections of slip-fit pvc plumbing and appropriate Tees and
90 degree elbows. Painting a stripe every other inch looks spiffy. Arrange a stand
with one full-length cross member having however many measurement locations
you desire (six, for instance if you are using SMAC or CRASH) and simply slide
a cross piece through the connector until it hits the car. I have had good results
by carrying two 25' tapes, and a few 6-10 foot tapes (more 25's for higher visibility).
The two long ones can define the sides of the pre-impact vehicle, with respect to
some undamaged portion (rear axle, for instance), with a third tape acting as a
reference line. If I know in advance what I'm going to look at, I can bring along
a list of original dimensions, which can ease the whole task of data crunching later.
A plumb bob is not a bad idea, for transfering a location at two feet high to the correct
place on the ground, so you can place your tapes accurately.

Wade Bartlett
wbartlett@ttlc.net

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