Durability Courses

The primary durability course is a 1,665-ft (507.8-m) "dog bone"-shaped track that includes the following elements:

1-in deep random chuckholes
0.75-in (1.91-cm) chatter bumps at a 15-degree angle
a section simulating a high crown intersection
4-in-deep (10.16 cm) chuckhole
a section simulating a railroad crossing
6-in (15.24-cm) staggered bumps
a section designed to twist the bus frame

The alternate durability course has the same elements, but the elements are positioned differently relative to one another from the primary course. The alternate durability course is located on the straight section of the opposite side of the test track.

About

Established in 1989 by the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute with funding provided by the Federal Transit Administration, the Larson Transportation Institute’s Bus Research and Testing Center tests buses for safety, structural integrity, durability, performance, maintainability, noise, emissions, energy economy, and fuel economy. Based primarily in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the Center also has a facility located at the Larson Transportation Institute Test Track in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.