Imitation Models for Testing of the Gymnastic Springboard Stiffness

• Published in: Journal of testing and evaluation 2022-07, Vol.50 (4), p.2240-2248
• Main Authors: Zanevskyy, Ihor, Zanevska, Lyudmyla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0090-3973; 1945-7553
• DOI: 10.1520/JTE20210732

Competition results in gymnastic vaults depend in great measure on testing and tuning of the springboard’s mechanical parameters, especially the stiffness. There are four empirical tests of the gymnastic springboard; one of them is a static test, and the three others are dynamics tests. The accuracy of the well-known springboard model (with an error up to 70 %) is not acceptable in the testing. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to develop a model for the imitation of springboard stiffness testing that should have appropriate accuracy in engineering calculations. Gymnova (2012) was studied as popular equipment for gymnastic springboard vaulting. In the main load range area (1,500 ÷ 3,500 N), according to the experimental testing, displacements of the upper board obey the linear function approximately on 99.7 %. The corresponding error of the elastic solid-body model developed in this research is 3.6 %, contrary to the multibody model created by Lehmann et al., where it is about 45.9 %, i.e., 13 times over. The mechanical and mathematical model of gymnastic springboard that was developed in this research, created on the basis of an overhanging beam with a console protrusion, has quite acceptable accuracy and can be recommended for engineering calculations, virtual testing, and simulation of the technique performing gymnastic vaults.