Impacts on rolling resistance, fuel consumption and operating cost of unevenness of road pavement

Tien paallysteen epatasaisuuden vaikutus ajoneuvojen vierintavastukseen ja ajoneuvokustannuksiin

The unevenness of road pavement increases the rolling resistance, fuel consumption and emissions of vehicles. It causes vibration and bounce, pitch and roll movements of vehicles, wears out vehicles, reduces driving comfort and increases risks for accidents and damage of goods. The goal was to obtain information about the impacts on the rolling resistance, fuel consumption, emissions and operating costs of the unevenness of road pavement. During the study coast down tests were made and a new method for determining the impacts of unevenness was developed. The method utilises data of pavement unevenness and longitudinal gradient of road, coast down tests and vehicle simulation based on driving dynamics. A separate literature study gave information on what is already known on the basis of studies made mainly abroad. The method developed together with driving simulation seems applicable enough for determining the impact on rolling resistance of the uneven road pavement providing that the road data include longitudinal gradient data and are accurate, and the driving data of vehicles are gathered in short time intervals. The rolling resistance of vehicles depend clearly on unevenness of road pavement. However, a numeric dependence was not quantified because, due to the inaccurate input data and too long gathering interval of driving data, the results had been unreliable and illogical on some part. Driving simulation indicates that the increase of fuel consumption caused by increase of rolling resistance, especially for heavy duty vehicles, is remarkably higher than indicated by foreign studies. The reason is that in Finland (as well as in Sweden) the masses and number of axles are bigger than in countries where the studies have been made. The unevenness of road surface causes higher fuel consumption and costs than the other studies indicate. The time interval in gathering of driving data should be 1/5 second or shorter and the longitudinal gradient data should be included into road data. A new indicator for road pavement evenness should be developed; IRI is not suitable. The study has been made by Vemosim Ltd for the Finnish Road Administration (=FINNRA), and it has utilised the data gathered in the PTM-system (Measuring system of road pavement evenness) of FINNRA. This report may be found at http://alk.tiehallinto.fi/julkaisut/pdf/3200939-v_voh_tien_paallysteen_epatas_vaik.pdf

• Record URL:
  http://alk.tiehallinto.fi/julkaisut/pdf/3200939-v_voh_tien_paallysteen_epatas_vaik.pdf
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9518035148
• Authors:
  • SAUNA-AHO, J
  • SAUNA-AHO, P
  • KAHKONEN, A
  • VIRTALA, P
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• Finnish

Media Info

• Pagination: 51p+app20
• Serial:
  • TIEHALLINNON SELVITYKSIA, FINNRA REPORTS
  • Volume: 3200939
  • Issue Number: 27/2005
  • Publisher: Finnish Road Administration
  • ISSN: 1457-9871

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Comfort; Condition surveys; Costs; Fuels; Pavements; Smoothness
• Geographic Terms: Finland
• ITRD Terms: 9138: Comfort; 3857: Condition survey; 224: Cost; 3071: Evenness; 8035: Finland; 3850: Fuel; 2955: Pavement
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Finance; Highways; Pavements; Vehicles and Equipment; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I92: Vehicle Comfort; I96: Vehicle Operating Costs;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01014093
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: TRL
• ISBN: 951-803-514-8
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Dec 22 2005 1:57PM