FUEL CONSUMPTION RELATED TO ROADWAY CHARACTERISTICS (DISCUSSION AND CLOSURE)

In 1979, the Federal Highway Administration contracted the Texas Research and Development Foundation to prepare an updated set of vehicle operating cost tables for use in the Highway Performance Monitoring Program. Included in this research was a reinvestigation of the interrelations between roadway characteristics and fuel consumption, which required the performance of a set of experiments to investigate the effect of grade, curvature and surface type, and pavement condition on fuel consumption. These experiments were conducted in 1980 and 1981 by using a set of eight vehicles, which ranged from a small economy car to a 2-S2 semitruck. The tests were conducted while the vehicles were idling, accelerating, decelerating, and traveling at constant speed. The idle fuel-consumption test showed that new vehicles consumed fuel at a higher rate than previously had been published. Acceleration and deceleration models were generated, which allowed a direct analysis of speed-change cycles for all driving situations. A new set of constant-speed fuel-consumption tables as a function of grade were generated and are presented in this paper. It was found during this research that pavement condition did not affect fuel economy over the range of conditions normally encountered in the United States. This resulted from testing on asphalt concrete pavements with a range in serviceability of 1.8-4.2 and testing on concrete and surface-treated pavements. This is a very significant finding in the economic and energy analysis of highway transportation systems, since it removes the fuel-based incentive for providing smooth pavements on highways. (Author)

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1983/901/901-004.pdf
• Record URL:
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Operational Effects of Geometrics. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
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• Authors:
  • Zaniewski, John P
• Discussers:
  • Claffey, Paul
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 18-29
• Monograph Title: ENERGY IMPACTS OF GEOMETRICS--A SYMPOSIUM
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 901
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acceleration (Mechanics); Classification; Curvature; Deceleration; Evaluation; Fuel consumption; Highways; Motor vehicles; Operating costs; Pavements; Slopes; Surface course (Pavements)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Grade (Slope); Highway classification; Pavement conditions
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00377360
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309035155
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-035 796
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 30 1984 12:00AM