LOAD LIMITATIONS ON HIGHWAYS

IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE PRESENT HIGHWAYS AND TO AVOID THE NECESSITY OF DESIGNING FUTURE HIGHWAYS FOR UNREASONABLY HEAVY LOADS, LEGAL LIMITATIONS ON LOADS HAVE BEEN IMPOSED BY ALL STATES. THE STATES HAVE GENERALLY ACTED INDEPENDENTLY IN THE MATTER SO THAT A GREAT VARIETY OF RESTRICTIONS EXISTS WHICH OFTEN IMPOSE HANDICAPS ON TRUCK TRAFFIC WITHOUT ACHIEVING THEIR AIM OF PROTECTING THE HIGHWAYS. IT HAS BEEN SHOWN BY TESTS THAT TRUCK WHEELS MAY BE PLACED IN TANDEM AT THE MINIMUM PRACTICAL SPACING WITHOUT PRODUCING GREATER STRESSES IN PAVEMENTS THAN ARE PRODUCED BY A SINGLE WHEEL CARRYING A LOAD EQUAL TO THAT ON EACH WHEEL, IN TANDEM. IT IS, THEREFORE, NECESSARY TO LIMIT ONLY THE WHEEL LOAD TO ADEQUATELY PROTECT PAVEMENTS. BRIDGES ARE DESIGNED FOR CONCENTRATED LOADS ON SHORT SPANS AND A UNIFORM LOAD OR A COMBINATION OF UNIFORM AND CONCENTRATED LOADS FOR LONGER SPANS. IT IS OBVIOUSLY DESIRABLE TO SPECIFY LOAD RESTRICTIONS OF A FORM SIMILAR TO THE DESIGN LOAD SO THAT IT WILL BE APPLICABLE TO ANY TYPE OF TRUCK TRAIN AND ANY SPAN LENGTH AVOIDING THE NECESSITY, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, OF MAKING PROVISION FOR SPECIAL CASES. SUCH A FORM OF LIMITATION COULD THEN BE MADE APPLICABLE TO BRIDGES DESIGNED FOR ANY LOAD BY VARYING THE CONSTANTS CONTROLLING THE INTENSITY OF LOAD. LOAD LIMITATIONS BASED ON THE DESIGN LOADS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY OFFICIALS ARE PRESENTED AND A STUDY HAS BEEN MADE OF THE STRESSES WHICH ARE PRODUCED BY THE LOADINGS OF THE A.A.S.H.O. AND BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS OF 1919. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbproceedings/11/11-008.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 11, Pt 1, PP 129-151, 17 FIG, 10 TAB. 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.
• Authors:
  • Gemeny, A L
  • Root, W H
  • BUCHANAN, J A
• Publication Date: 1932

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board Held at Washington, D.C. December 10-11, 1931. Part I: Reports of Research Committees and Papers
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Proceedings
  • Volume: 11
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge members; Bridges; Constrictions; Design load; Highways; Length; Load limits; Pavements; Regulation; Size and weight regulations; Stresses; Trucks; Vehicle weight; Wheel loads; Wheels
• Uncontrolled Terms: Bridge spans
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Law; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225814
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 1 2003 12:00AM