TRAFFIC LOAD SPECTRA DEVELOPMENT FOR THE 2002 AASHTO DESIGN GUIDE

Accurate knowledge of traffic volumes and loading is essential to structural pavement design and performance. Underestimation of design traffic can result in premature pavement failures and excessive rehabilitation costs. Overestimation can result in overly conservative pavement designs that are not cost effective for the owner agency. Traffic input for the anticipated National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 1-37A Design Guide will be in terms of axle load spectra along with several other important traffic parameters. Axle load spectra consist of classifying traffic loading in terms of the number of load applications of various axle configurations (single, dual, and tridem) within a given weight classification range. Long term pavement performance (LTPP) data from Mississippi sites were extensively reviewed to determine vehicle class distribution, monthly and hourly distribution factors, and axle load spectra. These data will serve as baseline data for Mississippi Department of Transportation implementation of the new mechanistic-empirical structural pavement design guide.

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• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/24151
• Corporate Authors:

  Mississippi State University, Mississippi State

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Mississippi State, MS  United States  39762-9546

  Mississippi Department of Transportation

  401 North West Street, P.O. Box 1850
  Jackson, MS  United States  39215-1850

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Buchanan, M S
• Publication Date: 2004-12-30

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 100 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Axle load force; Guidelines; Implementation; Pavement design; Pavement performance; Vehicle classification
• Uncontrolled Terms: Axle configurations
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Pavements; Research; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I23: Properties of Road Surfaces;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00987795
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/MS-DOT-RD-04-165,, Final Report
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 31 2005 12:00AM