Publications Repository - Gdańsk University of Technology

The phenomenon of vehicle overloading—illegal exceeding of maximum legal weight of vehicles, is a serious problem both in developing and developed countries around the world. Overloaded vehicles occur less frequently in comparison to properly loaded vehicles but due to their greater potential to cause damage they significantly contribute to distress of pavement structure. As studies show, the number of overloaded vehicles increases when the control of traffic is insufficient. Weigh in Motion (WIM) systems significantly improve control level and contribute to decrease in the number of overloaded vehicles. Data delivered from WIM were used to perform statistical analysis of vehicle overloading in Poland. The average percentage of overloaded vehicles (OV) in Poland varies from 5% for roads with high enforcement level to 23% for roads where control is poor. Every weighed vehicle was considered in terms of exceeding maximum legal gross weight and maximum legal axle load. For each vehicle separately truck equivalency factors were calculated. Subsequently the relationship between average values of truck equivalency factors and percentages of overloaded vehicles was found. This relationship was used as a basis to determine the impact of overloaded vehicles on decrease in fatigue life of pavement structure (DFL) and increase factor IF, which expresses the extension of service period. It was proved that reduction of overloaded vehicles from 23 to 5% will contribute to increase in service period of pavement structures by factor 1.5. The life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) was performed for two levels of overloading OV = 23% and OV = 5%. The paper revealed that improvement of vehicle control and reduction of the percentage of overloaded vehicles from 23 to 5% will cause the reduction of whole life cost borne by road authority by 11%. 1 Introduction

Authors

• dr hab. inż. Dawid Ryś link open in new tab ,
• dr hab. inż. Piotr Jaskuła link open in new tab