DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MEC 4630 - Vehicle Structural Design & Material Selection

Assignment #5 (LO3)
Due date 6/12/2018 @ 11:30 AM (Beginning of Lecture)
Q1. [ 25 marks ]
A part of a vehicle car structure is designed as a steel open rectangular bay frame structure as shown in
Fig. 1. The frame is subjected to shear loads QA = 3.6 kN and QB = 1.8 kN.
(i). Determine the stiffness of the frame in the direction of QB. (5 marks)
(ii). If the frame is replaced by plane panel of the same outside dimensions having a thickness t =
3 mm, determine the new stiffness of the structure if the panel material is (i) magnesium
alloy; (ii) aluminium alloy. (6 marks)
(iii). Determine the shear stress in the panels of question (b) and check if they will buckle or not.
(7 marks)
(iv). Compare the stiffness to weight ratio of the steel open frame structure with that of the plane
panel in (b) and give comments on the numbers you get. (7 marks)

Fig. 1
Q2. [ 25 marks ]
(a) Consider the side and rear frames of the car shown in Fig. 2. Shear loads determined from torsion
load case at the top edge of the side frame Q4 = 3800 N and at the top edge of rear frame Q2 = 2200
N.
(i). Assuming all pillars have good joints at their ends, calculate the portion of the shear load Q4
carried by 'C'- pillar. (10 marks)
2
(ii). If the allowable tensile stress of the pillar material is 200 N/mm , determine the factor of
safety used in the design if the ‘C’- pillar The ‘C’- pillar is made of a hollow steel tube 150
mm x 50 mm x 1 mm. (15 marks)
 Fig. 2

Q3. [ 25 marks ]

(a) A vehicle structural member is constructed out of formed and spot-welded steel sheet metal of
thickness t = 1.2 mm as shown in Fig. 3a. The member is subjected to a torque T = 800 N.m and
bending moment M = 2200 N.m as shown. If the strength of the spot weld Fs = 1800 N, determine
the maximum allowable pitch p for the design. Take E = 210 GPa. (15 marks)

b1 = 100 mm
b2 = 35 mm
d = 150 mm
L = 500 mm

Fig. 3a
(b) Calculate the critical shear stress cr for the plane panel shown in Fig. 3b. Compare cr with the value
of average shear stress and give comments on your observation. (10 marks)
Fig. 3b