Stochastic Road Inputs and Vehicle Response

Abstract

SUMMARY During the 1950's increasing awareness of the available theory of stochastic processes, together with the wider availability of digital computers, brought to automobile engineers a new and powerful technique for treating the response of vehicles to the irregular undulations of roads. But while a road profile may reasonably be regarded as a realisation of a stochastic process, the theory of stochastic processes brings practical advantages only where the processes concerned satisfy certain stringent criteria The paper explains the basis of the standard spectral techniques which are available for the description and analysis of stochastic processes, and emphasises the restrictions implied by their acceptance. Progress towards the present state of the art is indicated by reference to work published over the last 25 years; this work has established that a stationary gaussian stochastic process does provide a satisfactory basic model for a road surface, and it has now reached a state of considerable sop...