Measuring heavy vehicle wheel loads dynamically

The objective of this project was to improve knowledge and understanding of the in-service dynamic wheel loads and load-sharing characteristics of axle groups through the development of a measurement tool. The aim is to develop a wheel load measuring tool that can continuously measure the loads transmitted to the pavement surface by wheels in an axle group whilst a truck is in motion and can be easily transferred to a number of different vehicles fitted with a range of suspension types. A measurement system was developed using laser-based sensors to measure the deflection of the tyres. These measurements were then translated to vertical wheel loads. On-road tests were conducted travelling at 60 and 80 km/h over a smooth and rough road. The data collected from these tests showed that faithful vertical wheel information can be obtained from a non-contacting tyre compression measurement technique. The next stage of this project is to use the wheel vertical load measuring system to gather on-road data for a range of suspension systems under a defined set of conditions. (a)