Response of Iowa Pavements to Heavy Agricultural Loads

Iowa's county road system includes several thousands of miles of paved roads which consist of portland cement concrete (PCC) surfaces, asphalt cement concrete (ACC) surfaces, and combinations of thin surface treatments such as seal coats and slurries. These pavements are relatively thin pavements when compared to the state road system and therefore are more susceptible to damage from heavy loads for which they were not designed. As the size of the average farm in Iowa has increased, so have the size and weights of implements of husbandry. These implements typically have fewer axles than a truck hauling the same weight would be required to have; in other words, some farm implements have significantly higher axle weights than would be legal for semi-trailers. Since stresses induced in pavements are related to a vehicle's axle weight, concerns have been raised among county and state engineers regarding the possible damage to roadway surfaces that could result from some of these large implements of husbandry. This study investigated the effects of variously configured grain carts, tank wagons, and fence-line feeders on Iowa's roadways, as well as the possible mitigating effects of flotation tires and tracks on the transfer of axle weights to the roadway.

• Record URL:
  http://publications.iowa.gov/15998/1/IADOT_hr1075ph1_Response_Iowa_Pavements_Agri_Loads_1999.pdf
• Record URL:
  http://publications.iowa.gov/id/eprint/15998
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/27324
• Corporate Authors:

  Iowa Department of Transportation

  Project Development Division
  Ames, IA  United States  50010

  Iowa Department of Transportation

  Iowa Highway Research Board, 800 Lincoln Way
  Ames, IA  United States  50010

  Iowa State University

  Center for Transportation Research and Education, 2625 North Loop Drive, Suite 2100
  Ames, Iowa  United States  50010-8615
• Authors:
  • Fanous, Fouad
  • Coree, Brian
  • Wood, Doug
• Publication Date: 1999-12-28

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report Phase I
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 38p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Axle load force; Concrete pavements; Farm vehicles; Heavy vehicles; Load limits; Pavement distress; Pavement performance
• Geographic Terms: Iowa
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01529376
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: HR-1075
• Contract Numbers: CTRE Management Project 99-51
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 30 2014 9:41AM