Planning for Commercial Vehicle Weight Limit Change: Application and Computer Software
Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 15, Issue 1
Abstract
Commercial vehicle weight limits here refer to those on the gross weight, axle spacing, and axle weights. They have a notable influence on the deterioration and lifespan of highway facilities such as pavements and bridges. A new methodology is presented here for estimating the monetary impact to a network of highway bridges due to commercial vehicle weight limit increase. This methodology focuses on four categories of cost impact: (1) life reduction due to fatigue of steel components; (2) life reduction due to fatigue of reinforced concrete decks; (3) requirements for addressing deficiency of existing bridges; and (4) capacity requirements for new bridges. For illustration, an application example of the new methodology is presented. The results show that Categories 3 and 4, additional inadequate bridges and increased requirements for new bridges, contribute more significantly to the total impact cost. In addition, a computer software program for the methodology has been developed and is introduced in this paper to facilitate implementation. It is intended to be used for highway planning at different network levels, such as for state, provincial, federal, or national jurisdictions.
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Acknowledgments
The work reported here was funded by the U.S. National Cooperative Highway Research Program. This support is gratefully appreciated. However, the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the sponsor. Idaho Transportation Department kindly provided the bridge inventory data and assistance in gathering other data from the involved trucking companies. Their assistance is acknowledged with gratitude, without which the reported work would not have been completed.
References
AASHTO. (1994). Manual for condition evaluation of bridges, Washington, D.C.
AASHTO. (1996). Standard specifications for highway bridges, 16th Ed., Washington, D.C.
AASHTO. (1998). LRFD bridge design specifications, 2nd Ed., Washington, D.C.
Fu, G., et al. (2003). “Effect of truck weight on bridge network costs.” Rep. No. 495, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.
Minnesota DOT. (1991). “Truck weight limits and their impact on Minnesota bridges.” Rep. No. 225, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Saint Paul, Minn.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 15 • Issue 1 • February 2010
Pages: 9 - 20
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Nov 11, 2008
Accepted: Jan 11, 2009
Published online: Jan 15, 2010
Published in print: Feb 2010
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