This paper describes how the Jordan Rollover System (JRS) dynamic test rig was adapted for research use in the New South Wales State government’s Crashlab® crash test facility used for Australian NCAP and regulatory crash testing. Development and installation of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) JRS was funded by the Australian Federal Government’s Australian Research Council (ARC) and industry partners. It is one of three rigs now operating in the world:​ the original Center for Injury Research (CFIR) JRS, the Dynamic Rollover Test System (DRoTS) at the University of Virginia, and the UNSW JRS in Sydney.

Construction of the UNSW JRS was the first phase of the much larger Dynamic Rollover Occupant Protection (DROP) research program which is funded by the ARC and industry partners, to establish which combination of crash severity, roll kinematics, biomechanical injury criteria, crash test dummy, and restraint systems, address the major proportion of fatalities and serious injuries occurring to seat belted and restrained occupants involved in rollover crashes.

The design of the UNSW JRS focused on functionality for research purposes while at the same time ensuring operational flexibility within a regulatory and commercial crash test facility. Data sources used for the design phase included:​ rollover crash test results on a variety of vehicles carried out using the CFIR JRS;​ FMVSS 208 dolly rollover crash tests carried out by other researchers;​ rollover fatality crash data and in-depth crash reconstructions from Australian Coroners Information System (NCIS) and from the NASSCDS. These data were used to determine what features were essential for using the UNSW JRS as a comprehensive research tool to explore different initial test conditions (roll rate, drop height, roll, pitch and yaw angle) that could possibly replicate real-world rollover crash conditions where serious injuries occurred.

Features of the test rig design adress issues concerning:​ roadbed decoupling;​ rig mobility;​ roadbed towing;​ lighting;​ timing synchronisation of the vehicle drop for a given roll rate and roll angle in terms of accuracy and repeatability;​ and recording data and sensors compatibility. Commissioning rollover crash tests of a small and medium passenger cars and a large four wheel drive vehicle were carried out to establish test rig functionality and identify issues concerning rig operation. Results from the commissioning tests are presented.

It was concluded that the UNSW JRS can be adapted to a commercial or government crash test facility. A critical issue was vehicle impact synchronisation due to the complexity of decoupling roadbed movement from the roll propulsion. Another issue that continues is the ability of the rig to replicate real world crashes which may be significantly more severe than the test rig has to date been used and/or designed for. This is further discussed in the paper.