U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations
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This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information |
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Publication Number: FHWA-RD-03-094
Date: March 2005 |
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Estimating Cumulative Traffic Loads, Volume II:
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1. Report
No. FHWA-RD-03-094 |
2. Government Accession No. | 3. Recipient's Catalog No. | |
4. Title and Subtitle 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 |
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6. Performing Organization | |||
7. Author(s) Jerry J. Hajek, Olga I. Selezneva, Goran Mladenovic, and Y. Jane Jiang |
8. Performing Organization Report
No. |
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9. Performing Organization Name and
Address |
10. Work Unit No. | ||
11. Contract or Grant
No. |
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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 |
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14. Sponsoring Agency Code | |||
15. Supplementary Notes |
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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. |
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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. |
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19. Security Classif. (of this
report) Unclassified |
20. Security Classif. (of this
page) Unclassified |
21. No. of Pages 133 |
22. Price |
Form DOT F 1700.7
Reproduction of completed page authorized
SI* (Modern Metric) Conversion Factors
Objectives of Phase 2
Background
Results of Phase 1
Report Overview
CHAPTER 2. PROCEDURES FOR TRAFFIC DATA ASSESSMENT AND PROJECTION
Step 1–Preliminary Assessment of LTPP
Traffic Data
Step 2–Development of LTPP Traffic
Projection Procedure
Step 3–Validation of the LTPP Projection
Procedure Using Case Studies
Step 4–Development of LTPP Traffic Feedback
and Resolution Package
Step 5–Preparation of LTPP Traffic Feedback and
Resolution Packages for All Participating Agencies
Step 6–Review of LTPP Traffic Feedback and
Resolution Packages by RCOs
Step 7–Review of LTPP Traffic Feedback and
Resolution Packages by Participating Agencies
Step 8–Implementation of Review Comments
Received from Participating Agencies
CHAPTER 3. RESULTS OF DATA ASSESSMENT AND TRAFFIC PROJECTION
Availability of Traffic
Projections
Scope of the LTPP Traffic Data
Historical Trends in LTPP Traffic Data
Quantity and Quality
Data Analysis/Operations Feedback
Reports
CHAPTER 4. COMPUTED PARAMETER TABLES FOR PROJECTED TRAFFIC DATA
Description of Computed Parameter
Tables
Generation of Projected Annual Axle Load
Spectra
CHAPTER 5. PROTOTYPE LTPP PAVEMENT LOADING GUIDE
The Need to Estimate Missing Traffic
Data
The Need to Assess the Quality of
Monitoring Traffic Data
Scope of Pavement Loading Guide: LTPP PLG or
General PLG
Objectives of the PLG and Purpose of This
Chapter
Role of PLG in Traffic Projection
Conceptual Outline of PLG
Functionality of LTPP PLG
Development of Generic Truck Characteristics
and Data–Selection Guidelines
Prototype Demonstration Software
Example Use of PLG
CHAPTER 6. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
Conclusions
Recommendations
LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF TABLES
FHWA-RD-03-094
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