Influence of Overloaded Freight Transportation on Pavement Life
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Date
2015-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
In Ethiopia; rules and regulations on highway traffic signs speculate different restrictions (like load
limit posts) but still one of the existing problem affecting pavements design period is from the effect
of the heavily loaded freight transportation that uses pavements / roads for circulating goods that it
transports. Overloading also contributes for the aggravation of the pavement deterioration problem
that is seen within the country. Therefore, this paper tries to show the influence of overloading by
analyzing which percentage of overloading contributes much for the influence plus how the
pavement fatigue life gets reduced is also discussed.
Analysis includes the application of the famous theories “fourth power law” as well as “AASHTO
remaining fatigue life analysis” were the results gave good figure of the negative influence of
overloading. The investigation was done by assessing primary and secondary data collected at Awash
size and weight control station (were awash station is chosen from assessment based on the most
heavily loaded vehicle count from the secondary data collected for different control stations in
Ethiopia).
In conclusion, about 48% of the examined axles were overloaded and among these 56% of the axles
were on the margins from the specified legal load (i.e. in between 10.1 – 12ton) were tolerance of
these loads was also observed at the control station. An overlay thickness was also estimated to show
that the considered pavement after some years of service will require unexpected maintenance in
order to carry the additional loads due to overloading. Therefore from the results of the analysis, it is
seen that the effect of overloading on the life of pavements as well as on rehabilitation expenses will
be severe and needs strict awareness so that road defects / distresses due to overloading will be
minimized.
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Keywords
Road and Transport Engineering