Safety Implications of Various Truck Configurations - Vol. I; Technical Report.

1988True, JustinPDFTech ReportFHWA-RD-89-018DTFH6 1-85-C-00091Highway safetySize and weight regulationsHeavy vehiclesVehicle performanceUnited StatesUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationFancher, PaulMathew, ArvindUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationUniversity of Michigan. Transportation Research InstituteTurner-Fairbank Highway Research CenterTrue, JustinFederal Highway AdministrationThe purpose of the study is to examine changes to size and weight limits in order to determine their effects on the designs and configurations of heavy vehicles, the performance capabilities of the resulting vehicles, and the ensuing safety implications thereof. The technical report provides results and findings from an analytical investigation of the influences of size and weight limits on trucks. In an analytical sense, pavement loading rules and bridge formulas are the inputs to the analyses and vehicle performances are the outputs. Ultimately, the work shows the manner in which size and weight rules influence the safety-related performance of vehicles designed to increase productivity. By treating a number of projected size and weight scenarios, the study has developed a basis for generalizing to sets of principles that can be used in evaluating the possible safety consequences of changes in size and weight regulations. This volume is the fmt in a series of three. The other two volumes are Volume II, Appendixes, FHWA Report No. FHWA-RD-89-019, and Volume III, Summary Report, FHWA-RD-89-085.80