The main objective of this project was to evaluate the feasibility of using high-porosity aluminum foam materials and structures to improve the crashworthiness and safety of high speed rail equipment.  An additional goal was to identify other potential advantages of using aluminum foams in locomotive and passenger car structures. The results showed sufficient promise to justify a follow-on project, HSR-34. The goal of this follow-on project was to identify and demonstrate specific applications for aluminum foam in high speed rail equipment. The main focus was on improvement of crush energy absorption of structures in rail passenger cars.  For a more complete summary of both of these projects, see HSR-34. 

The final report for this IDEA project can be found at:
https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/archive/studies/idea/finalreports/highspeedrail/HSR-20Final_Report.pdf.