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JoeHEB1
Advanced Member
498 Posts |
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exmod110
Senior Member
150 Posts |
 Posted - 03/23/2018 : 11:31:06 AM
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| WOW!! |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4544 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2018 : 12:06:43 PM
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That'll buff right out.
Seriously though, it's nothing short of a miracle nobody was killed. |
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JoeHEB1
Advanced Member
498 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2018 : 12:36:42 PM
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| A few seconds slower and that tree would've killed the driver. Geez!!! |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2018 : 1:29:21 PM
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| That's some scary stuff! I'm wondering if everything preformed as designed. I couldn't tell how big the tree was. If it was a montrocity then you can't design anything to defeat it. But, if it was 6 or 8 inches across then there shouldn't have been that kind of damage. |
Bryan |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4544 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2018 : 3:28:24 PM
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This isn't aimed at anyone here...
Folks need to keep in mind that roof loading standards are tested by placing weight gradually. A tree falling or bus sliding on its side into an object is not gradual and does more damage.
I've heard that bus people are blah blah blah'ing on Facebook about how Thomas used to advertise with a bus stacked on top of a bus...yes they did, and I imagine it was set gently up there, not thrown down.
Also a Crown or Gillig would have just bounced the tree off. I recall a photo of one of those upside down with the roof flattened after it fell off a bridge or something.
Return to reality people.
End rant. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2018 : 06:17:06 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Thomasbus24
This isn't aimed at anyone here...
Folks need to keep in mind that roof loading standards are tested by placing weight gradually. A tree falling or bus sliding on its side into an object is not gradual and does more damage.
I've heard that bus people are blah blah blah'ing on Facebook about how Thomas used to advertise with a bus stacked on top of a bus...yes they did, and I imagine it was set gently up there, not thrown down.
Also a Crown or Gillig would have just bounced the tree off. I recall a photo of one of those upside down with the roof flattened after it fell off a bridge or something.
Return to reality people.
End rant.
I just wonder if there's ever been a test set up to evaluate what would happen in this situation. So, let's think about this. The tree comes down at some point behind the front "bulkhead". It puts weight on the roof skin therefore pulling at the rivets where it's attached to a roof bow. As the rivet holes stretch the roof bow behind the tree begins to bend, therefore pushing on the next section of roof skin between the bows. Steel sheets aren't strong enough to have any integrity in that direction. So, it buckles and the bow is able to lay down and let the tree go on by to the next bow to repeat the process. So, in my opinion, the rivet holes or rivets themselves are what needs to be looked at to see if they are meeting the requirements set forth. If they are meeting, maybe the requirements need to be changed. I suppose the requirement change would either be thicker skin at the point where the holes are or the skin could be longer as to allow more "meat" between the holes and the edge of the skin as to allow more strength before failure. Just something to think about. |
Bryan |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4544 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2018 : 07:00:17 AM
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| Remember, the C2 is a bonded body, the rivets only serve to hold things til the adhesive cures. This would be a great case to study. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2018 : 07:48:32 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Thomasbus24
Remember, the C2 is a bonded body, the rivets only serve to hold things til the adhesive cures. This would be a great case to study.
Hmm, didn't realize that. lol Windshield is bonded too, right? Are the rivets just as close on a C2 as they are/ were on one that isn't bonded? |
Bryan |
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black
Active Member
USA
49 Posts |
Posted - 03/24/2018 : 10:41:45 AM
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| I have often wondered how well the bonded panels on the new Thomas body style might hold up in an accident. This doesn't bode well from what I can see from the photo's. I believe the old Carpenter buses had to have a lot of reinforcement work be done on their buses after an accident some what like this many years ago. It's a miracle that no one was severely injured in this incident. |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4544 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2018 : 06:22:35 AM
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| Windshield is bonded, rivets are very few and far. |
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Kodie
Top Member
United States
2028 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2018 : 5:56:51 PM
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| I'm going to assume that this was built with the standard steel cage. I wonder how it would have fared if built under Colorado specs which requires additional support in the roof bows. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2018 : 05:37:47 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Kodie
I'm going to assume that this was built with the standard steel cage. I wonder how it would have fared if built under Colorado specs which requires additional support in the roof bows.
The supports you are talking about are between the bows? |
Bryan |
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JoeHEB1
Advanced Member
498 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2018 : 05:55:59 AM
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| School buses are built like tanks but even tanks have their weak points. Especially the top of the tank, it's the most vulnerable spot. Same goes with a bus or passenger car. |
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RonF
Top Member
867 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2018 : 06:54:15 AM
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| In the 3rd picture in the above article you can see a pine tree on the side of the road. You can also see it in some other photos as well. I would have to guess that trees was a good 2 feet in diameter. |
US Army retired CMBT |
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kummins
Active Member
41 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2018 : 10:22:33 AM
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looks to me that the roof stayed in one piece, it's all the glass and flimsy framework of the windows, that collapsed.
maybe time to look at heavier, more substantial structural supports between the windows. |
Edited by - kummins on 03/26/2018 10:23:26 AM |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2018 : 10:55:08 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by kummins
looks to me that the roof stayed in one piece, it's all the glass and flimsy framework of the windows, that collapsed.
maybe time to look at heavier, more substantial structural supports between the windows.
It all works together though. I hope they evaluate and find what failed first and recommend a remedy going forward. |
Bryan |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4544 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2018 : 4:50:51 PM
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| This is a place where I give Blue Bird a lot of credit. They don't have a feature code to pass Colorado roof rack test standards. Their standard design meets it. |
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Kodie
Top Member
United States
2028 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2018 : 5:16:49 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by bwest
quote:
Originally posted by Kodie
I'm going to assume that this was built with the standard steel cage. I wonder how it would have fared if built under Colorado specs which requires additional support in the roof bows.
The supports you are talking about are between the bows?
Yes, IC welds a piece of square tubing in the open channel of the bow to meet this requirement. Not sure what Thomas does. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2018 : 05:27:27 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Kodie
quote:
Originally posted by bwest
quote:
Originally posted by Kodie
I'm going to assume that this was built with the standard steel cage. I wonder how it would have fared if built under Colorado specs which requires additional support in the roof bows.
The supports you are talking about are between the bows?
Yes, IC welds a piece of square tubing in the open channel of the bow to meet this requirement. Not sure what Thomas does.
Bet that would have made this incident look different. |
Bryan |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
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Topic |
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Tree falls on school bus
