Big Trucks Crash what is the energy in relation to the crash?

[gilljersey]

Hello all, I am in need of some help. I work for a fire department who had a significant fire truck crash last summer. Because of this, my department has set about making a training program for our drivers. Lucky me, I am in charge of said program.

 

So I need some help.

 

Here is the story. Last summer one of our Ladder Trucks ( fire truck with the big long ladder on the top of the truck that extends out, not a fire engine that has water) was traveling around 58 mph on a curved road then is lost traction, slide and rolled. No one was seriously hurt.

 

Here is what we know. Said ladder truck was traveling around 58 MPH and weight 62,500 lbs. I know, using the formula for kinetic energy, ( KE= 1/2 Mass X Velocity squared) that this truck produced 7,016,409.78 ft lbs or 3,508 tons of energy.

 

What I am looking for is a way so show the members of my department what that much energy looks like. As in, that kind of power in an explosion, or a wrecking ball destroying a building. I need a way to relay to my guys, the power that they are driving down the roads and highways every day.

 

Luckily when this truck crash, it only hit a telephone pole a picket fence and a few cars. The extent of the damage was very little in comparison to what could have happened.

 

I have searched the web for a way to show this and have come up with nothing. Someone suggested I try a Science blog, so I leave it up to you. What have you got ????

 

 

And thanks for the help.

[Acme]

Here's a page with some energy comparisons, including explosives. You can scale them to your truck.

Comparison of Relative Energies and Powers

 

So for example, your 7,016,409.78 ftlbs = 5,192,143.2372 joules and from the link 1 lb of high explosive releases 2 mega joules so the truck at 58mph has the energy equivalent of about 2.6 lbs of high explosive. Of course without knowing what kind of damage that much explosive does, the comparison is somewhat meaningless.

 

Let us know how it goes.

[ACG52]

Try watching this mythbusters video of two trucks in a headon collision at about 50 mph.

 

[studiot]

I note you said the fire engine rolled.

 

You should also discuss the effect of the height of the centre of gravity of your trucks with your colleagues

 

These videos and resources about the tilt test for London buses may be useful. You can safely tilt a London double decker bus to 30^o.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en-GB&source=hp&biw=&bih=&q=london+bus+tilt+test&gbv=2&oq=tilt+london+bus&gs_l=heirloom-hp.1.0.0i22i30l2.3703.7171.0.10937.15.15.0.0.0.0.141.1766.2j13.15.0....0...1ac.1.34.heirloom-hp..0.15.1766.c-MnOItnt6I

[gilljersey]

I note you said the fire engine rolled.

 

You should also discuss the effect of the height of the centre of gravity of your trucks with your colleagues

 

These videos and resources about the tilt test for London buses may be useful. You can safely tilt a London double decker bus to 30^o.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en-GB&source=hp&biw=&bih=&q=london+bus+tilt+test&gbv=2&oq=tilt+london+bus&gs_l=heirloom-hp.1.0.0i22i30l2.3703.7171.0.10937.15.15.0.0.0.0.141.1766.2j13.15.0....0...1ac.1.34.heirloom-hp..0.15.1766.c-MnOItnt6I

 

 

The reason for the roll of the truck was because when the driver tried to meet the curve in the road, the momentum wanted the vehicle to continue straight. This of course brought the truck off the road surface some as they apexed the curve. The driver over corrected and the vehicle stared to skid. The tires reach soft dirty and dug in. Again the momentum continued through the vehicle causing the roll. We do have some top heavy fire vehicles but this particular one is not as top heavy as others. I do like the video link you sent me. Very interesting. Thank you.

Oh any why I am at it, do any of you haver a good chart or link for vehicle stopping distance? Like it a truck was going 58MPH how many feet to come to a complete stop?