Evaluation of advanced steel usage on seat construction to reduce bus weight in compliance with FMVSS and APTA regulations

Abstract

In this study, advanced steel usage on seat construction was studied to obtain weight reduction, and structural analysis was done by using finite-element analysis (FEA) method. Two different seat frames were used. Different loading conditions were applied. One of the seat frames were made of mild steel which is conventional seat frame material and used as a reference for comparison. The other was made of advanced steel to obtain a weight reduction by optimising thickness and improving the design. The results show that the maximum displacement and maximum stress are decreased for four tests when advanced steel is used. In addition, using advanced steel can provide significant weight reduction for seat frame. Thus, using advanced steel can provide fuel efficiency over the vehicle's operating life and also reduce CO2 emissions. Besides comparison of the structural safety and weight reduction, this study researches a lightweight seat concept for future electric/hybrid buses.