Investigation into Biomechanical Response and Health Consequences of Military Rucksack Design for Female Soldiers

Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Grawe, Sarah Koop
Language:	English
Published:	The Ohio State University / OhioLINK 2014
Subjects:	Industrial Engineering Mechanical Engineering rucksack military load carriage female soldier load distribution
Online Access:	http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397501190

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spelling	ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-osu13975011902021-08-03T06:23:49Z Investigation into Biomechanical Response and Health Consequences of Military Rucksack Design for Female Soldiers Grawe, Sarah Koop Industrial Engineering Mechanical Engineering rucksack military load carriage female soldier load distribution Rucksack, or backpack, design has been the subject of scientific study for over fifty years, yet improvements are still being implemented in both industry and the military. In particular, the need for female-specific equipment in the US military has become more evident since the combat exclusion rule was lifted allowing women to serve in combat roles. Female soldiers use exactly the same rucksack as the men in training and in the field. Women experience greater injury rates than men in the military; load carriage is a major cause of these injuries. Although load carriage affects patterns in gait, physiological effects, and health outcomes, the differences in male and female response to the current military rucksack under dynamic, field conditions are unknown. This investigation establishes a foundation for future design research to improve the military load carriage system. The objectives of this investigation are to examine past research on the effects of rucksack use and design, concentrating on military applications, and to analyze the current military rucksack suspension system design using finite element modeling in the context of creating a better adapted design in the future for female soldiers. A review of the literature was completed exploring biomechanical, physiological, and health effects of load carriage, specifically focusing on military applications and effects on female users. In addition, an analysis of military equipment was completed to gain a full understanding of the system and the interactions between the clothing, personal protective equipment, and load carriage devices. Individual and group interviews of experienced users provided information about equipment use in the field. Furthermore, a targeted analysis using finite element modeling was completed for the purpose of investigating the interaction between frame design and load carriage effects on female anthropometry for the current US military rucksack (MOLLE IV). The results of the finite element model of the MOLLE IV rucksack frame show a trend that suggests differences in axial force in the shoulder straps may be due in part to back-waist length variations, with an increase in shoulder strap force as the waist-back length decreases. Future research is necessary to design and evaluate improved rucksack frame and suspension system designs in order to provide female soldiers with better adapted equipment. 2014-09-16 English text The Ohio State University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397501190 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397501190 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: some rights reserved. It is licensed for use under a Creative Commons license. Specific terms and permissions are available from this document's record in the OhioLINK ETD Center.
collection	NDLTD
language	English
sources	NDLTD
topic	Industrial Engineering Mechanical Engineering rucksack military load carriage female soldier load distribution
spellingShingle	Industrial Engineering Mechanical Engineering rucksack military load carriage female soldier load distribution Grawe, Sarah Koop Investigation into Biomechanical Response and Health Consequences of Military Rucksack Design for Female Soldiers
author	Grawe, Sarah Koop
author_facet	Grawe, Sarah Koop
author_sort	Grawe, Sarah Koop
title	Investigation into Biomechanical Response and Health Consequences of Military Rucksack Design for Female Soldiers
title_short	Investigation into Biomechanical Response and Health Consequences of Military Rucksack Design for Female Soldiers
title_full	Investigation into Biomechanical Response and Health Consequences of Military Rucksack Design for Female Soldiers
title_fullStr	Investigation into Biomechanical Response and Health Consequences of Military Rucksack Design for Female Soldiers
title_full_unstemmed	Investigation into Biomechanical Response and Health Consequences of Military Rucksack Design for Female Soldiers
title_sort	investigation into biomechanical response and health consequences of military rucksack design for female soldiers
publisher	The Ohio State University / OhioLINK
publishDate	2014
url	http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397501190
work_keys_str_mv	AT grawesarahkoop investigationintobiomechanicalresponseandhealthconsequencesofmilitaryrucksackdesignforfemalesoldiers
_version_	1719435990187114496

Investigation into Biomechanical Response and Health Consequences of Military Rucksack Design for Female Soldiers

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