Session: 14-01-01: General Topics on Risk, Safety, and Reliability I

Paper Number: 142755

142755 - Comparative Analysis of Stresses and Deformation of a Common Construction Helmet With and Without a Deformation Zone Using Finite Element Analysis. 

Concerns for safety have continued to grow across all forms of industry in order to protect both companies and their personnel. Construction helmets are one of the most common forms of personal protection utilized in the workforce. Within industries that they are required, construction helmets are commonly referred to as “hard hats.” The purpose of a construction helmet is to mitigate impact forces and repel objects away from the head. Furthermore, they are designed to reduce the risk of concussion, Traumatic Brain Injury (T.B.I.) and other forms of head injury. The most common form of construction helmet is the Type 1 construction helmet. These helmets typically have two main components, the shell, and the webbing/suspension system. Type 1 helmets are required to go through certification which involves a vertical impact test to the apex at the top of the helmet. This test is used to determine whether the helmet successfully meets the required standards to be used on jobsites in the construction field and various other industries.

The goal of this project is to test whether a deformation zone should be included in future construction helmet designs. Deformation zones are used as a method to absorb impact energy through intentionally deforming, thereby reducing the impact energy absorbed by the body. Deformation zones have been adopted into other forms of personal protective equipment such as sport helmets and bicycle helmets, which have seen positive results in impact testing. This project involves the MSA V-Gard Type 1, Class E helmet, which is commonly used in the workforce. The MSA V-Gard helmet is ideal for this project due to the ridges at the top of the helmet shell which allow for a deformation zone to be integrated into the helmet design. The MSA V-Gard helmet is scanned using an Einscan HX laser scanner (Shining 3D), then exported as a point cloud model to Geomagic Wrap where it is cleaned and converted to a Non-Uniform B-Spline Surfaces (NURBS) file. This NURBS file is then exported into Siemens NX, where 2 models are created. One model consists of the scanned helmet without a deformation zone, the second model consists of the scanned model with a deformation zone. For this study the model with a deformation zone is designed and incorporated into the helmet utilizing Siemens NX’s hole optimization tool. The comparative analysis of the two helmet models focuses only on the effect of the geometric design of the two helmet shell models, not the effect of the webbing/suspension system. Ansys software is used to determine the stresses, strains, and deformation of the 2 helmet shell models.

Presenting Author: Bryson Hand University of North Florida

Presenting Author Biography: Bryson Hand is currently pursuing his Master's degree at the University of North Florida. With a profound passion for innovation and problem-solving, Bryson's academic journey has been marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence in the field of mechanical engineering.
Currently immersed in his Master's thesis under Dr. Alexandra Schonning, Bryson is delving deep into the realm of impact testing for construction helmets. His project is centered around the utilization of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to conduct simulated impact tests on construction helmets. His research has a specific focus on comparing the performance of a Type 1 helmet equipped with a deformation zone against one without. This research holds significant implications for enhancing the safety standards within the construction industry, as it seeks to provide valuable insights into the efficacy of deformation zones in future helmet designs to mitigating impact energy.
As a speaker at the 2024 IMECE Conference, Bryson Hand brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise garnered through his academic journey and research endeavors.

Authors:

Bryson Hand University of North Florida
Alexandra Schonning University of North Florida
Grant Bevill University of North Florida
Jutima Simsiriwong University of North Florida