United States Department of Transportation
i
Traffic Data Input for Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) for Tennessee
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2019-09-01
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[PDF-3.31 MB]
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Edition:Final Report Oct. 1 2015 to Sept 30 2019
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Abstract:Traffic loading is one of the key inputs for the structural design and analysis of pavement structures using both the AASHTO Guide for Pavement Design (1993) and the Pavement Mechanistic-Empirical Design (PMED) Guide. Traffic data provides necessary information in terms of traffic load distributions, intensity and number of repetitions. PMED requires a large number of design inputs that characterizes traffic, pavement materials and climate. PMED traffic input parameters include base year truck-traffic volume; truck growth factors; vehicle (trucks) class distribution; hourly distribution factors (HDF); monthly distribution factors (MDF); design lane factors; axle and wheel base configurations; average number of axle groups per vehicles for FHWA vehicle class 4 – 13; and Normalized axle load spectra (NALS). The development of these parameters require data from vehicle counts, automatic vehicle classification (AVC) and weigh in Motion (WIM). Currently, TDOT lacks AVC and WIM stations; therefore, this study utilized data from other sources to develop Level 2 (Statewide) traffic inputs. Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) sites in Tennessee were used to develop monthly adjustment factors. AADT and 24-hr classification counts were used to develop vehicle class distribution (VCD) factors. LTPP -Pavement Loading User Guide (LTTP-PLUG) is recommended for Normalized Axle Load Spectra (NALS). Other factors will use TDOT project specifications and level 3 parameters. The developed parameters will be used until TDOT installs WIM and AVC stations, and collects data and updates the current Level 2 traffic input parameters. The study also found that the continuous count data could not be used for developing VCD for the state of Tennessee.
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