Citation

Gyenes L, Mitchell CGB. Proc. Int. Tech. Conf. Enhanced Safety Vehicles 1992; 1992: 95-101.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, In public domain, Publisher National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

For some time it has been suspected that the higher-than-average dynamic loads imposed on roads by heavy vehicles cluster at particular positions along a road. This paper presents experimental evidence on the degree of clustering that occurs and indicates the extent to which this increases road wear. TRL has measured dynamic pavement loads for a variety of vehicles, suspension types and speeds on three sections of the TRL research track. These measurements have been used to determine the loading pattern along the track for each vehicle, suspension and speed. The applied loads have been summed for typically 50-100 different axle passes and the total and mean applied loads at each station calculated. This analysis of the experimentally measured dynamic loads suggests that load concentration points do occur at which the mean load is at least 5 percent greater than the static load. This load concentration effect would double the significance of dynamic loads as a cause of excess road wear, relative to that estimated by the method of Eisenmann. Three sections of public roads have been instrumented with strain gauges in each wheel track at 1 metre intervals over a length of 60 metres. These have been used to measure the horizontal strains at each of the 60 stations. Typical measurements are shown in the paper. At the time of writing the analysis of the total loads and load concentrations along the road sections has not been completed. One section of public road has been instrumented with eight weigh-in-motion sensors at 2.7 metre intervals in each wheel track. These have been used to measure the local loads applied by over 2000 HGV axles. The preliminary analysis of these results suggests that average loads vary by + or - 20% along the instrumented section, and that the pattern of load concentration points has been stable over a five month period.