Lightweight design and structural analysis of a bi-articulated bus: Experimental measurements and fem validation

Abstract

The concept of sustainability prioritizes energy efficiency, especially in transportation, which directly impacts environmental sustainability. This study presents, for the first time, the lightweight design and structural performance of a 25-meter, three-section, double-articulated bus body frame through a hybrid methodology that integrates experimental road data with finite element (FE) validation. A finite element model was created and analyzed under various conditions. Lightweighting studies were performed using topology optimization, design modifications, and different materials. Data from real road conditions were collected and compared with simulation results, achieving up to 93% correlation at specific points. As a result, a 14.1% weight reduction was achieved in the bus body frame without compromising safety or passenger capacity. This lightweighting contributes significantly to sustainable transportation by reducing emissions over the vehicle's lifetime.