Methodology to Assess Impacts of Alternative Truck Configurations on Flexible Highway Pavement Systems

Abstract

Assessing the appropriateness of truck axle weight limits and truck configurations from the standpoint of the impact on infrastructure is a critical issue in the determination of North American truck size and weight harmonization. A methodology is discussed for determination of pavement response, estimation of load equivalencies, and development of performance curves for different cases of flexible highway pavement and heavy-vehicle interactions for normal environmental and thaw conditions. The pavement response model uses the MSC Software Corporation’s general-purpose finite element program, MSC.MARC. Seven different truck configurations, using North American axle weight limits, are used to illustrate the impacts of alternative truck configurations on flexible highway pavement systems. Three progressive schemes are employed for impact assessment: the truck-factor scheme, the repetitions-to-failure scheme, and the tonnage-over-life scheme.