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

2005Richter, Cheryl AllenPDFTech Reporthttps://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/03094/https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/03094/03094.pdfFHWA-RD-03-094DTFH61-96-C-00003Traffic loadsEstimatesAxle loadsTraffic estimationUnited StatesUnited States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Infrastructure Research and DevelopmentHajek, J. J.Selezneva, Olga I.Mladenovic, GoranJiang, Y. JaneERES Consultants, Inc.United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Infrastructure Research and DevelopmentTurner-Fairbank Highway Research CenterRichter, Cheryl AllenFederal Highway AdministrationIn 1998, the Federal Highway Administration sponsored a study to estimate traffic loads on Long\u2013Term 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.79