New Mechanistic–Empirical Approach for Estimating the Effect of Roughness on Vehicle Durability

Vehicle manufacturers place a major focus on improving the design of vehicle components to respond better to changes in road surface profiles. Nevertheless, changes in the surface profile still directly affect user costs including repair and maintenance (R&M) costs and damage to goods. For example, AASHTO reported that poor road conditions added an estimated $76.8 billion to transport costs annually. The objective here is to estimate the effect of roughness, as expressed by the international roughness index, on vehicle durability and R&M costs. First, the R&M costs of Zaniewski et al. (the latest comprehensive research conducted in the United States) are updated by multiplying their reported costs by the inflation rate of R&M costs between 1982 and 2007. Then a mechanistic–empirical (M-E) methodology is proposed to estimate the effect of roughness on R&M costs. The proposed approach is based on fatigue damage analysis by using numerical modeling of the vehicle response. Finally, the results from the M-E approach are compared with the empirical results (updated Zaniewski tables) and found to be very close up to 5 m/km. The standard error is about 2%. Also, a case study of the I-69 section near Lansing, Michigan, is presented. This detailed analysis is useful for identifying those segments of the road within a project that cause higher operating costs to the traveling vehicles. These localized rough sections could then be subject to maintenance activities in order to remedy the problem.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/2227-20
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=New+Mechanistic%e2%ac%1cEmpirical+Approach+for+Estimating+the+Effect+of+Roughness+on+Vehicle+Durability&author=I.+Zaabar&author=K.+Chatti&publication_year=2011
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/166429.aspx
• Authors:
  • Zaabar, Imen
  • Chatti, Karim
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 180-188
• Monograph Title: Pavement Management 2011, Volume 3
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2227
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Durability; Operating costs; Pavements; Roughness; Surface course (Pavements); Vehicles
• Identifier Terms: International Roughness Index; Interstate 69
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mechanistic-empirical evaluation; Road conditions
• Geographic Terms: Lansing (Michigan)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01333253
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309167505
• Report/Paper Numbers: 11-3297
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 21 2011 2:13PM