{"id":9432,"date":"2020-01-22T08:59:35","date_gmt":"2020-01-22T13:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/?p=9432"},"modified":"2026-03-26T06:42:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:42:06","slug":"from-belgian-blocks-to-durability-load-input-and-vehicle-durability-testing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/from-belgian-blocks-to-durability-load-input-and-vehicle-durability-testing\/","title":{"rendered":"SimRod experience: From Belgian blocks to vehicle durability testing (part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Vehicle durability testing definitely belongs to the critical testing when developing a new vehicle. Until today, OEMs worldwide spend extensive budgets and a lot of efforts to develop durable and lightweight vehicles, running on low fuel consumption. In this blog post I’d like to share with you an effective approach to durability testing.
Let me start from the beginning…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belgian blocks\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Belgian
Belgian blocks aka cobblestones<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Everybody, who has ever done some durability test runs on a proving ground, knows what Belgian blocks<\/strong> are.  For those who doesn’t know, Belgian blocks are these huge blocks of stone used to create a rough road profile on one or several proving ground tracks.  These tracks are then used to replicate the durability load inputs that a vehicle experiences over its life time, and to test when one or more components break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But why are these cobblestones called \u201cBelgian blocks\u201d?<\/em>  I never questioned this, until one of my (non-durability) colleague engineers asked me this question. Why aren\u2019t they called for example \u201cGerman<\/em>\u201d or \u201cIndian blocks<\/em>\u201d?  Unfortunately, I could not immediately answer that question, so I needed to look it up myself.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apparently, the term \u201cBelgian block\u201d<\/em> has some historical connection to when European ships set sail from ports such as Antwerp, in search of goods to trade.  These large stone blocks were typically used for paving, borders and a wide variety of landscaping projects, but they were also useful as ballast for ships that were too light to cross the ocean.  So, when the ships belly would be filled with goods purchased direction Europe, these blocks of stone would be left behind there.  In many cases they were eventually used for street paving of the U.S. port cities such as Boston, New York, Charleston.  The term has simply stuck and today\u2019s very large granite cobblestone style blocks are being referred to as Belgian blocks<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you, Mr. Google ! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Durability measurement campaign<\/h2>\n\n\n\n