Estimating Cumulative Traffic Loads, Volume II, FHWA-RD-03-094 - LTPP - Pavements

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ESTIMATING CUMULATIVE TRAFFIC LOADS, Volume II:
Traffic Data Assessment and Axle Load Projection for the Sites with Acceptable Axle Weight Data
Final Report for Phase 2

FHWA-RD-03-094
March 2005
PDF Version (1.37 MB)

Foreword

In 1998, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sponsored a two-phase study to develop traffic load estimates for Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) sites. This report describes the results of the Phase 2 study. The Phase 1 study resulted in the development of methodology for estimating axle load spectra for all years the LTPP sites were in service. Phase 2 used this methodology to estimate axle loads for all LTPP sites that had acceptable site-specific axle weight data. In total, traffic load estimates were made for 558 LTPP traffic sites.

This report will be of interest to engineers involved in pavement management, design, maintenance, and rehabilitation and in traffic data collection and analysis.

T. Paul Teng, P.E.
Director, Office of Infrastructure
Research and Development

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers' names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document.

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No. FHWA-RD-03-094	2. Government Accession No.	3. Recipient's Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle ESTIMATING CUMULATIVE TRAFFIC LOADS, Volume II: Traffic Data Assessment and Axle Load Projection for the Sites with Acceptable Axle Weight Data, Final Report for Phase 2		5. Report Date March 2005
		6. Performing Organization
7. Author(s) Jerry J. Hajek, Olga I. Selezneva, Goran Mladenovic, and Y. Jane Jiang		8. Performing Organization Report No.
9. Performing Organization Name and Address ERES Consultants, Inc. 9030 Red Branch Road, Suite 210 Columbia, MD 21045		10. Work Unit No.
		11. Contract or Grant No. DTFH61-96-C-00003
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Office of Infrastructure Research and Development Federal Highway Administration 6300 Georgetown Pike McLean, Virginia 22101-2296		13. Type of Report and Period Covered Final Report
		14. Sponsoring Agency Code
15. Supplementary Notes Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR): Cheryl Allen Richter, HRDI Work was conducted as part of the LTPP Data Analysis Technical Support Contract.
16. Abstract In 1998, the Federal Highway Administration sponsored a study to estimate traffic loads on Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) sites. This report contains findings of the second phase of the study. Phase 1 encompassed the development of the estimation methodology, including numerical examples, and was documented in report FHWA‑RD‑00‑054 issued in July 2000. Phase 2, described in this report, included the assessment of the overall quality of traffic data for all 890 LTPP traffic sites, and the projection of axle loads for all LTPP sites with adequate traffic data. Phase 2 also included the distribution of comprehensive traffic data reports to all participating agencies and the incorporation of comments regarding traffic projections received from the agencies. Axle load projections were developed for all in‑service years up to 1998 for 558 LTPP traffic sites that had adequate traffic monitoring data in the IMS database. The axle load projections were expressed as annual axle load spectra for single, tandem, and triple axles, and were placed into IMS computed parameter tables. The projection results for all LTPP sites are summarized in appendix A. To overcome the difficulty of estimating traffic loads for the remaining 332 LTPP sites, it was proposed to develop the LTPP Pavement Loading Guide (PLG). The report contains a description of the purpose, design parameters, and functionality of the PLG, a blueprint for the development of the PLG, and two examples of using the PLG to obtain traffic load projections for LTPP sites without site‑specific truck class and/or axle load data. The recommended traffic analysis activities include the development of the LTPP PLG, completing traffic load projections for all LTPP sites, and the development of a comprehensive action plan for better utilization of the existing traffic data. The recommended components of the action plan include a comprehensive quality assurance process, use of monthly traffic data for estimating traffic loads, and regional traffic modeling utilizing both LTPP traffic data and other traffic data.
17. Key Words Pavements, traffic estimates, axle loads, LTPP		18. Distribution Statement No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161.
19. Security Classif. (of this report) Unclassified	20. Security Classif. (of this page) Unclassified	21. No. of Pages 133	22. Price