Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight (TS&W) Study. Phase 1-synthesis, working paper 3 : pavements and truck size and weight regulations

Details

• Corporate Creators:
  Battelle Memorial Institute
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Equivalent Single-axle Load (ESAL) Life Cycle Costing Pavement Design Pavement Maintenance Size And Weight Regulations Traffic Loading Truck Characteristics Trucking Regulations Vehicle Weight Wearing Course (Pavements)
• Resource Type:
  Research Paper
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Federal Highway Administration
• Abstract:
  Pavement related effects of changes in truck size and weight regulations include the following: (1) Increased traffic loadings require thicker pavements which, in turn, increase the construction cost of pavements. (2) For existing pavements, increases in traffic loadings would affect pavement rehabilitation in two ways. First, an increase in traffic loadings would shorten the time interval to the next resurfacing, which would increase the real cost for resurfacing. Second, at the time resurfacing is required, higher traffic loadings would either increase overlay thickness or require more frequent resurfacing in the future. (3) Costs for routine maintenance might also be affected by changes in traffic loadings. A pavement in new or very good condition requires relatively little expenditures for maintenance. However, as pavement condition worsens expenditures for activities such as filling cracks and patching potholes increase. (4) If traffic loadings are increased and highway agencies do not increase pavement-related expenditures to compensate for the increase, then pavement condition will deteriorate, in turn forcing users to travel over worse roads. Truck characteristics affecting pavements include the following: axle weights; tire characteristics; suspension systems; axle spacing; liftable axles; and tridems. These truck characteristics and their effects on policy are further discussed in the paper.
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  Federal Highway Administration
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7d8b48a034c78e273b017c992014ec8644b0b74c28138174cfcc6caab512f836102b62b9695ad03967ba9e31e73e8d075c512c7d00191f82f51e8fdf96ae6c53
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/4739/dot_4739_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 350.77 KB ]