Weight characteristics of predominant truck configurations in Manitoba

Abstract

The thesis researches truck weights in Manitoba. Its purpose is to develop axle load spectra that accurately represent static and dynamic axle load distributions for trucks operating on Manitoba highways. Monitoring and understanding truck weights has become a principal focus for traffic monitoring activity in North America, especially with increased levels of awareness of the impacts truck traffic have on transportation systems. This focus on trucking activity and truck weights is reflected in traffic data collection guidelines provided in the most recent U.S. FHWA Traffic Monitoring Guide and Long Term Pavement Performance Program (LTPP) publications. The need for axle load spectra is further magnified with the shift to a mechanistic-based design procedure for pavements by AASHTO. The imminent introduction of a new (2002) AASHTO Pavement Design Guide will require axle load spectra as traffic load inputs for the pavement design software included. The thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of static truck weights accumulated using a truck data collection system created during the course of the research, and also dynamic truck weights from Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) devices. The analysis uses Manitoba weight data available in 2001. The research provides new insights into the spatial and temporal characteristics of static and dynamic truck weights. It develops a detailed understanding of the entire population of 17,264 trucks sampled using the static truck weight data collection program at the Headingley, Westhawk and Emerson weigh scales in 2001, as well as over 600,000 trucks sampled by various WIM devices during the same time frame. The research proposes a methodology and the related criteria for accepting or rejecting the massive amounts of WIM data collected on the basis of the results obtained from the analysis of static truck weights. Finally, the thesis formulates a methodology to generate representative static and dynamic axle load spectra for roadways with readily available weight information, and a procedure concept to determine truck load distributions for roadways without available weight data but having volume and classification counts...