Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
(OP)
I have an odd question for everyone. Has anyone designed an elephant enclosure? I am currently trying to design elephant containment bollards. These bollards are concrete filled steel posts.
The bollards need to be designed in a way that do not harm the elephant in case of impacting them. We prefer to partially damage the bollard but not the elephant.
I’ve used the car impact equation from the euro code to compute the kinetic force in case of impact but that calculated force was very huge (482 kips). Any other suggestions please.
Assumptions: The average weight of the elephant is 8000 lb and it’s average speed is 15 mph and point of impact is assumed at 7 ft. height. Thanks!
The bollards need to be designed in a way that do not harm the elephant in case of impacting them. We prefer to partially damage the bollard but not the elephant.
I’ve used the car impact equation from the euro code to compute the kinetic force in case of impact but that calculated force was very huge (482 kips). Any other suggestions please.
Assumptions: The average weight of the elephant is 8000 lb and it’s average speed is 15 mph and point of impact is assumed at 7 ft. height. Thanks!
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RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
There is however a reduction in this force available to account for barrier deflection. Your local code should have something on this for vehicle impact. In this case, your “vehicle” is an 8000lbs elephant!
Although usually you’ll find that such clients will have their own minimum requirements. No point designing for averages when big bertha comes in..
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
So more than anything I'd expect you're going to be guessing either way unless you can find some guidelines for zoo animal enclosures or similar.
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
This made me laugh out loud! I had images in my mind of the squishy elephant impacting the bollard with my dynamics professor lecturing on the coefficient of restitution.
MIStructE_IRE. Kinetic Energy.... not force is equal to (mass/2) * (velcity^2). The displacement component of the bollard (or squishy elephant fat) is a key unknown for solving for the force.
What strikes me as odd is that this same question (almost verbatim) was asked back in 2017 by a different poster. The first two sentences are the exact same.... Coincidence?
Link
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?
-Dik
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
I would be careful using the equations in Eurocode intended for cars. They are based on certain assumptions regarding the deformation properties for the car and the barrier. I doubt that the elephant and your barrier will have the same properties.
I would instead go back to the dynamics of the impact. You know the kinetic energy from the elephant at impact. If it collides with a mountain it will possibly by killed, since there is no deformation in the barrier.
But how much must the barrier deform without hurting the elephant? And that you need a barrier that can deform that distance and also absorb the energy.
Good Luck
Thomas
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
TTFN (ta ta for now)
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RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?
-Dik
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
we have a code or recommended design loads for such animals. This is from SANS 1184-1:2004
This is for temporary housing though.
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?
-Dik
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
for liability, it's good if they can provide the design loading...
Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?
-Dik
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
... African or Indian ?
another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?
-Dik
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
(missed it - thought it was part of the signature line which I skip for being nonsense.)
RE: Bollard Design for Elephant Enclosure
That's the formula for kinetic energy, right? Not force. You'd have to turn that into Strain energy on the column to determine the deflection. Then maybe convert that to an equivalent static load that could cause the same deflection.
Regardless, I think the solution to your problem is not entirely a structural one. You design the structure to withstand the load and deflection that are expected. Then you surround the column with something less rigid to protect the elephants from hurting themselves on your structure. Kind of like those water barrels that surround various columns or poles that you pass on the freeway.