ESTIMATION OF AXLE LOADS OF HEAVY VEHICLES FOR PAVEMENT STUDIES

A statistical approach was used to characterize axle loads of heavy vehicles for use in highway pavement design and performance analysis. On the basis of actual axle loads of 12,638 vehicles measured on Singapore roads, the characteristics of variations of vehicle gross weights and axle loads were investigated. Vehicles were grouped into various classes according to their axle configurations. Weibull functions were used to model distributions of vehicle weights by vehicle class. Various models of axle load distributions were examined, and it was found that a second-order polynomial regression model offered the best estimates of axle loads. On the basis of the analysis of the axle load data, there is a need to conduct axle load studies to provide reliable estimates of traffic loading for effective management of the existing road network and the economical design of new pavements.