GUIDELINES FOR SPRING HIGHWAY USE RESTRICTIONS. SUMMARY REPORT. FINAL REPORT

The summary report describes a survey of current practice as well as the guidelines developed for agencies which need load restrictions during spring thaw periods. The survey of current practice for locations in the U.S. and Canada shows that the average load reduction applied during spring thaw periods is about 44 percent. The analysis performed in the study tends to confirm that level of load restriction. Further, it was found for the assumed conditions that a minimum load restriction level (if any load reduction is needed) is about 20 percent. Load restrictions greater than 60 percent are generally not warranted for the range of cases studied. Air temperature based criteria (Thawing Index) were developed which can be used to estimate when to apply and remove load restrictions.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/080.2.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Washington, Seattle

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, P.O. Box 352700
  Seattle, WA  United States  98195-2700

  Washington State Department of Transportation

  Transportation Building, 310 Maple Park Avenue SE, P.O. Box 47300
  Olympia, WA  United States  98504-7300

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Mahoney, J P
  • Rutherford, M S
  • Hicks, R G
• Publication Date: 1986-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 44 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data collection; Guidelines; Load limits; Surveys; Thaw
• Uncontrolled Terms: Spring breakup
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Pavements; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00476049
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: WA-RD-80.2
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 30 1988 12:00AM