Weigh-in-Motion Data: Quality Control Axle Load Spectra and Influence on Pavement Design

Currently, the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) operates 14 weigh-in-motion (WIM) stations, which collect weight and classification data throughout the state. In this paper, the quality of the traffic data collected by NMDOT and its influence on mechanistic-empirical design are studied, using weight data from five WIM sites in 2009. A set of algorithms implemented in Visual Basic Application are used to perform the quality data checks. Data quality is assessed by determining the influence of axle load spectra on predicted pavement performance, and an algorithm is used to produce a positive and negative calibration bias in the WIM data. Among the findings are the determination that the bending plate sites provide high quality WIM data compared to piezoelectric systems. Rutting, alligator cracking, longitudinal cracking, transverse cracking and International Roughness Index (IRI) are predicted using the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG).