1987•Unpublished venueRequires access
ANALYSIS AND FORECAST OF TRUCK TRAFFIC LOADS AND THE RELATIVE DAMAGE TO PAVEMENT SYSTEMS AS A FUNCTION OF AXLE CONFIGURATIONS. FINAL REPORT
Shekhar Govind, D A Faria, Randy B. Machemehl, C. Michael Walton
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Abstract
The rate of deterioration of highway pavement in Texas over the years appears to have been accelerating. During this time, there has also been an observed increase in truck weights and sizes. This report is the first in a series regarding a study entitled Evaluation of Truck Sizes, Weights, and Tire Pressures on Pavement Deterioration, being conducted by the Center for Transportation Research at The University of Texas at Austin. The overall study examines several aspects of possible cause and effect relationships between increasing truck weights, sizes, tire pressures and pavement deterioration. The first phase of this study includes three scenarios. The first is a base scenario, which is characterized by an assessment of the effects on pavements of the entire vehicle fleet operating with currently prescribed weight limits and pre-1973 tire pressures. The second is an existing traffic scenario, characterized by the most recently-observed (1984) SDHPT vehicle weight data and tire pressures. The third is a future-traffic scenario, whereby hypothetical vehicle configurations are utilized to evaluate a possible way of reducing pavement damage. This report presents methods of data forecasting that are required for the overall study. The second phase of the study focuses on the problem of pavement damage as related to axle configurations. Theoretical models are developed to relate axle configurations to pavement damage. ESAL values for a wide range of single axle weights are computed based on this theory. The results are compared with the AASHTO ESAL values. The model is then applied to the forecasting of pavement damage as a function of axle spacing in tandem axles and ESAL values are computed for different tandem axle profiles. The methodology is general and it may be applied to any truck axle configuration for determining its effect on the pavement with respect to a standard axle weight.