Asset Management

There is a need to develop models to predict the horizontal forces applied by all combination vehicles with axle masses above the current allowances to assist in the prediction of the resulting pavement surface wear.

The impact of heavy vehicles on pavement surfacings also needs to be quantified over typical surfacing lifecycles. Failure modes of surfacings are often horizontal shear-stress induced rather than vertical load induced; these include bleeding and stripping, particularly in areas of high shear stresses such as rural T-junctions, climbing lanes and braking, accelerating and channelisation movements.

Austroads project AT1540 Understanding the Impact on Pavement Surfaces from Next Generation Freight Vehicles and Developing Practical Network Prediction Models and Responses was undertaken to gain an improved understanding of the failure mechanisms that are particular to the pavement surfacing layer – as distinct from the structural layer – that may be caused by changing configurations and loadings of freight vehicles. Once failure mechanisms are understood, standards, prediction models and appropriate responses need to be developed.