Construction of Integral Bus Body (Monocoque

15-04-2014
MONOCOQUE
CONSTRUCTION OF INTEGRAL
BUS BODY
(MONOCOQUE/UNIBODY)
Monocoque,
meaning
'single
shell'
in
French, is a construction technique that

utilizes the external skin to support some or
most of the load.
The technique may also be called structural

skin or stressed skin.
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The semi-monocoque is a hybrid of a mutually

reinforcing
tensile
shell
and
In integral bus construction, a base structure is
compressive
formed with 4 long Side members, cross
structure.
members, outriggers and wheel arch supports.
Unitary body / unit body - uses a system of box
Units like engine , gear box, axles etc are
sections, bulkheads and tubes to provide most
mounted on the flexible Under structure, which
of the strength of the vehicle, to which the
is fabricated by welding.
stressed skin adds relatively little strength or
stiffness
These under structures are painted with

suitable colors to prevent corrosion .
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DESIGN OF INTEGRAL BUS

Chassis under structure
The body pillars which are ring frames are

attached to the two extreme Side members
called sole bars by bolting.
The paneling is done as per specifications to
give good integral Structure.
The under and body structure act as a single
structure to carry the Load.
Thus for a given load the integral structure will
withstand more stress which indicates that
every member of the structure is sharing the
load.
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Unit weights like engine, gear box, radiator,

steering box, batteries and fuel tank acting as
point loads at the mounting points.
Weight of under structure considered

uniformly distributed load.
Considering the vertical and lateral bending,

moment is calculated and a section required to
carry the weights is decided allowing for a
reserve factor depending on the road conditions.
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as
15-04-2014
CHASSIS AND BODY BUIDING TECHNIQUES
Chassis body structure
Body weight and Payload are considered as
uniformly distributed load.
The basic under structure is fabricated out of

thin mild steel cold rolled channel sections fully
Considering bending , torsion and combination

of both, the body structure is designed allowing
galvanized for corrosion protection.
The structure is provided with cross members
for a reserve factor depending in the road
and outriggers at specified intervals so that they
conditions.
will form complete ring frames along with body

side pillars and roof sticks.
7
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Pillars and roof sticks are made of sheet metal
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All inner panels and wheel arch truss panels are
pressed sections.
of sheet metal and solid steel riveted to the pillars
Pillars are bolted to the sole bar of the under
and longitudinal.
structure and the roof sticks are connected to
All outer panels and roof panels are of aluminum

and pop riveted.
the pillar by stiff pressed steel corner brackets

and the joining of them done using solid rivets.
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TESTING AND TEST RESULTS

The
prototype was tested under different
operating conditions for noise level , vibration and
easiness in passenger flow. The test values are
comparable with a conventional bus and are
tabulated:
OPERATING
FACILITIES
BOARDING AND
ALIGHTING
FACILITIES
INTEGRAL BUS
CONVENTIONAL BUS
1st step height from

ground
394 mm
470 mm
INTEGRAL BUS
CONVENTIONAL BUS
VISIBILITY LH SIDE
1310 mm
3023 mm
Passenger floor level

from ground
673 mm
1155 mm
VISIBILITY RH SIDE
1480 mm
2098 mm
No. of steps
Increase in drivers visibility is achieved by lowering the

windscreen level
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15-04-2014
NOISE LEVEL
MEASURED IN
DRIVERS AREA
INTEGRAL BUS
Vehicle not moving,

engine under full throttle
condition
78.5 dB
Vehicle running, engine

under full throttle
condition
78.8 dB
CONVENTIONL BUS
VIBRATION LEVEL
INTEGRAL BUS
CONVENTIONAL BUS
Vehicle not moving ,

engine idling condition
0.2 m/s^2
0.6 m/s^2
Vehicle running @
50kmph
1.5 m/s^2
3 m/s^2
92 dB
87 dB
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14
ADVANTAGES
Reduction in weight when compared to conventional

design with similar specifications.
Easy entry / exit, lowered floor height resulting in better
stability.
Reduction in noise and heat in the drivers and
passengers area.
Lowered windscreen level, better visibility for driver.
Reduced fatigue for driver due to easy approach to
controls.
Low noise and vibration levels.
15
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Greater rigidity to weight ratio.

Stronger body with larger seating capacity for a
given weight than conventional bus body
construction.
Typically safer in the event of an accident and is
more likely to have better systems including
suspension.
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16
Can be economically driven from one to three

million
miles (50000
miles
for body on
frame)depending on model, manufacturer, and

quality of maintenance.
Better longevity and resale value compared to

conventional type.
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17

Construction of Integral Bus Body (Monocoque

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What are the advantages of an integral bus construction?

What are the advantages of an integral bus construction?

How is the chassis and body structure designed for an integral bus?

How is the chassis and body structure designed for an integral bus?

15-04-2014

French, is a construction technique that

The technique may also be called structural

The semi-monocoque is a hybrid of a mutually

In integral bus construction, a base structure is

formed with 4 long Side members, cross

members, outriggers and wheel arch supports.

Unitary body / unit body - uses a system of box

Units like engine , gear box, axles etc are

sections, bulkheads and tubes to provide most

mounted on the flexible Under structure, which

of the strength of the vehicle, to which the

stressed skin adds relatively little strength or

These under structures are painted with

DESIGN OF INTEGRAL BUS

The body pillars which are ring frames are

Unit weights like engine, gear box, radiator,

Weight of under structure considered

Considering the vertical and lateral bending,

CHASSIS AND BODY BUIDING TECHNIQUES

Chassis body structure

Body weight and Payload are considered as

uniformly distributed load.

The basic under structure is fabricated out of

Considering bending , torsion and combination

galvanized for corrosion protection.

The structure is provided with cross members

for a reserve factor depending in the road

and outriggers at specified intervals so that they

will form complete ring frames along with body

Pillars and roof sticks are made of sheet metal

All inner panels and wheel arch truss panels are

of sheet metal and solid steel riveted to the pillars

Pillars are bolted to the sole bar of the under

structure and the roof sticks are connected to

All outer panels and roof panels are of aluminum

the pillar by stiff pressed steel corner brackets

TESTING AND TEST RESULTS

1st step height from

Passenger floor level

Increase in drivers visibility is achieved by lowering the

Vehicle not moving,

Vehicle running, engine

Vehicle not moving ,

Reduction in weight when compared to conventional

Greater rigidity to weight ratio.

Can be economically driven from one to three

frame)depending on model, manufacturer, and

Better longevity and resale value compared to

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