Aerodynamic loads on buses due to crosswind gusts – on-road measurements

Bus and coach traffic is considered to be one of the safest means of travelling. Still, there is a problem with accidents due to crosswind gusts. Therefore there is a need to improve the crosswind performance of buses. As a part of the work with improving the crosswind performance, a method for estimating the aerodynamic loads on a bus when exposed to natural crosswind is proposed. The method is based on the measurements of the vehicle response and the tyre forces from which the aerodynamic loads are estimated using inverse simulations. The results are also shown to agree well with the results of other studies based on wind tunnel measurements. The estimated aerodynamic loads are intended to be used in a future study on crosswind sensitivity using a moving base simulator.