ABSTRACT
The ATB model was initially developed to complement experimental research in automobile crash environments and to provide a functional instrument for parametric investigations. It is primarily a research tool which is used to interpolate and extrapolate the results of full-scale tests. It has been used in research to assist in the understanding of a wide array of other events and environments such as explosions, floatation, and ejection. The finite element method originated as a tool for stress analysis. The structure of interest is discretized into a series of finite number of elements, each with simple geometry and associated material properties. These discretized elements are then assembled to form a structural stiffness matrix and prior to calculating displacement, strain, and stress. In recent years, new finite element methods have been developed to analyze stresses within a moving body while impacting another object or to assess the effects of heat flow in human tissue.
