Inventions Dean L. Sicking

1 inventions

1.1 energy absorbing guardrail terminals
1.2 safer barrier
1.3 performance standards

inventions

sicking holds 30 patents, 5 significant of are: first energy absorbing guardrail terminal, first crash cushion without sacrificial energy absorbers, first guardrail capable of containing large suv’s, trailer mounted impact attenuator, , nascar’s steel , foam energy reduction (safer) barrier. these technologies have revolutionized respective markets. have been adopted around globe , produced major reductions in number of serious injuries , fatalities along highways , race tracks.

sicking’s innovations have produced more $1.3 billion in sales , have prevented thousands of serious injuries , fatalities.

furthermore, sicking has been principal or co-principal investigator on research projects total extramural funding in excess of $30 million. has authored or co-authored more 200 technical reports, more 70 refereed journal papers , 7 books. additionally, sicking has developed functional performance standards number of different impact attenuation systems, including developing nationally accepted performance standards roadside safety features. sicking in final stages of development safer hockey boards , football helmet can decouple rotation of helmet rotation of head.

energy absorbing guardrail terminals

sicking has devoted career designing impact energy management systems, focusing on crashworthy safety systems. sicking has developed numerous “next generation” designs have reduced risk of injury , fatality motorists, highway drivers nascar racers. first global success et-2000, first energy absorbing guardrail terminal – device sits on end of guardrail, flattening guardrail when hit vehicle. first study of device showed out of 400 crashes, there 3 injuries , no fatalities—reducing risk factor of 10. detailed research data , real-world results showing product success, sicking says gets satisfaction personal testimonial.

“the first time thing ever got hit when young lady driving home library @ university of texas,” sicking explains. “she driving small pickup truck cruise control set @ highway speeds when fell asleep , drifted off road. hit guardrail @ 65 or 70 miles per hour, , injury bruise across chest caused seat belt. got nice letter father describing crash. felt have been killed if had hit 1 of other common guardrail systems, , there high probability right. hear father daughter walked away unhurt—you live moments that.”

the first implementation of et-2000 in united states caused market prices soar. alleviate issue, sicking created second energy absorbing systems offered meaningful competition in order reduce costs without sacrificing safety performance. these 2 guardrail terminals used in united states, canada, , australia.

building on first guardrail designs, sicking developed first guardrail system capable of safely accommodating light trucks , suv’s. center of gravity , bumper heights of suv’s , light trucks increased, pre-1990 guardrails based designs on low bumper height vehicles no longer sufficient. larger vehicles began exhibit tendency rollover, vault, or rupture guardrails. sicking led team develop guardrail system addressed needs of vehicle, increasing rail mounting height, moving rail splices posts midspan, , increasing blockout depth 4 inches. date, 27 states have adopted guardrail design, 10 more adopting it, , remaining 13 have adopted or evaluating slight variation of system.

safer barrier

following dale earnhardt’s fatal wreck in 2001, nascar commissioned sicking determine specific cause of earnhardt’s worst injuries. sicking use video footage analyze , reconstruct crash, nascar’s worst crashes on 10 years prior. ultimately, investigation contributed development of sicking’s best-known invention, safer barrier, energy management system reduces impact felt driver flexing , absorbing energy. prior barrier, nascar , indycar averaged approximately 1.5 driver fatalities yearly. since safer barrier’s implementation in 2004, no fatalities or serious injuries associated safer barrier’s impact have occurred. in fact, remotely serious injury sustained has been broken sternum. magnitude of impact of sicking’s technologies best illustrated driver comments safer barrier:

performance standards

sicking has assisted in development of fundamental performance standards have altered energy management systems in highway safety. has resulted in increase in required safety performance of roadside safety systems. second author of standards roadside safety adopted in 1993 , principle author of manual assessing safety hardware, adopted federal highway administration in 2010 , used standard. these standards have since been implemented in canada, australia, israel, , of europe well. sicking’s quantitative , qualitative crash analyses, similar used nascar, critical components of these standards.