Abstract
This study analyzed 95,000 overweight (OW) single-trip truck permits issued in Wisconsin between May 2007 and June 2013. A geographic information system and relational databases were used to conduct a statewide routing analysis to identify highways that are heavily used by OW permitted trucks, such as WI-140. Field studies at WI-140 confirmed a high proportion of OW trucks. In addition, pavement damage and deterioration caused by heavy truck traffic were investigated by conducting a visual distress survey and determination of the pavement condition index (PCI). The pavement of WI-140 was heavily distressed, with a PCI description of very poor. The Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) was used on WI-140 to evaluate the performance of the pavement under OW truck traffic. The results of the MEPDG analysis showed that the pavement was heavily distressed and deteriorated, a condition that was consistent with field measurements and observations. A primary application of the routing and pavement analyses is to assist the Wisconsin Department of Transportation in developing rehabilitation strategies for deteriorated pavements.
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