ISSN XXXX XXXX © 2019 IJESC

Research Article Volume 9 Issue No.3

Evaluation of Vehicle Damage Factor in Overloading for Different

Types of Loading
Yogeshwar Kumar Singh1, D. S. Ray2
PG Student1, Professor2
Department of Civil Engineering
Babu Banarasi Das University, Lucknow, India
Abstract:
This paper aims to study the analysis of the vehicle damage factor in overloading for different types of loading. Over loading by
commercial trucks in India is a serious problem. The over loaded trucks stress the road structure beyond safe bearing capacity. Traffic
load is dominant function on pavement design because the main function of pavement is to resist traffic load. Efforts to repair of the
road damages have been done, but almost meaningless since the overloading trucks keep in progress, even reached twofold from the
normal load. In this work vehicle damage factors (VDF) is determined for single, dual, or multi-axle trucks for different vehicle
classification. The spectrum of axle load in terms of axle weights of single, tandem, tridem and multi-axle should be determined and
compiled under various classes with class intervals of 10 kN, such as 10 kN, 20 kN and 30 kN for single, tandem and tridem axles
respectively. VDF should be evaluated carefully by carrying out specific axle load surveys on the existing roads. The idea is to use
axle load survey data to evaluate Equivalent Single Axle Load (ESAL) and the Vehicle Damage Factor and then further analyze the
pavement to determine the required overlay thickness.
Keywords: Axle load survey, ESAL, vehicle classification
I. INTRODUCTION and calculate the appropriate equivalence factors. The main
purpose of the axle loads for trucks survey is to collect
The Vehicle Damage Factor (VDF) is a multiplier to convert the preliminary information regarding the range of heavy axle loads
number of commercial vehicles of different axle loads and axle traversing the nation’s main highways. With axle load
configuration into the number of repetitions of standard axle calculation for trucks, road authorities can make better decisions
load of magnitude 80 kN. It is defined as equivalent number of on which stretch to repair and which part of the road or
standard axles per commercial vehicle. The VDF varies with the pavement to prioritize, in order to optimize traffic flow. The data
vehicle axle configuration and axle loading. The objective is to helps reduce the effects of overloading and prevents accelerated
evaluate vehicle damage factor from overloading. The guidelines damage to pavement. With a comprehensive study of axle loads
use Vehicle Damage Factor (VDF) in estimation of cumulative for trucks road planning departments can ensure that existing
msa for thickness design of pavements. roads are appropriately maintained so that they provide
 To carry out the axle load or truck weight survey. appropriate level of service for road users across a longer
 To evaluate load equivalency factor and equivalent duration. These surveys also assist to improve existing road
standard axle load by using axle load survey data. conditions to meet the necessary standards in order to enable
 To evaluate vehicle damage factor by using above them to carry prevailing levels of traffic with the desired level of
variables. safety.The total weight of the vehicle is carried by its axles. The
Axle load survey should be carried out without any bias for load on the axles is transferred to the wheels and this load is
loaded or unloaded vehicles. On some sections, there may be ultimately transferred on the surface of the pavement in the
significant difference in axle loading in two directions of traffic. contact with tyres. To keep wheel load induced stresses on
In such situations, the VDF should be evaluated direction wise. pavement within allowable limit the total vehicle load is
Each direction can have different pavement thickness for divided distributed onto wider areas of pavement by using more axles
highways depending upon the loading pattern. The AASHO axle and wheels. This is the reason why more number of axles and
load equivalence, factors may be used for converting the axle wheels are fitted to heavy load carrying trucks. The VDF varies
load spectrum to an equivalent number of standard axles. For with the vehicle axle configuration and axle loading. There are
designing a strengthening layer on an existing road pavement, following types of axles:-
the vehicle damage factor should be arrived at carefully by using  Single axle
the relevant available data or carrying out specific axle load  Tandem axle
surveys  Tridem axle
When conducting an axle load survey the validity of the two
II.KEYWORDS OF THE PROPOSED EXPERIMENT
following assumptions are made:
A. Axle load survey  The load on the wheels of an axle remains constant at
The only effective way to compare the damaging effect of traffic all times, ie.remains the same as it was when the
on given roads is to measure the complete spectrum of axle loads vehicle was originally loaded

International Journal of Engineering Science and Computing, March 2019 20327 http://ijesc.org/
  The load exerted on the road by any wheel of any Table.2. Rigid chassis commercial vehicles
vehicle, whether at rest or in motion, is constant and
determined by the initial load distribution of the
vehicle.
These assumptions disregard the fact that the load concentration
on a wheel or an axle changes continuously when the vehicle is
in motion.

Table.1. Heavy Vehicle Categories and definitions

Heavy vehicle Category Definitions
Seating capacity of 40 or
Buses
more
- 2 Axles incl. steering axle
Medium goods vehicle
- 3 tonnes empty weight or
(MGV)
more
- 3 Axles incl. steering axle
Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) - 3 tonnes empty weight or
more
- 4 or more axles incl.
Very heavy goods vehicle steering axle
(VHGV) - 3 tonnes empty weight or
more

B. Equivalent Single Axle Load

Although it is not too difficult to determine a wheel or an axle
load for an individual vehicle, it becomes quite complicated to
determine the number and types of wheel/axle loads that a III. METHODOLOGY
particular pavement will be subject to over its design life.
Furthermore, it is not the wheel load but rather the damage to the A. Evaluation of the vehicle damage factor
pavement caused by the wheel load that is of primary concern. To evaluate the vehicle damage factor the first step is to carry
out the axle load survey. The axle load survey gives us the data
The most common historical approach is to convert damage to evaluate the equivalent single axle load and then further by
from wheel loads of various magnitudes and repetitions (“mixed using load equivalency factors, the vehicle damage factor is
traffic”) to damage from an equivalent number of “standard” or evaluated. Since the axle load survey is carried out only for the
“equivalent” loads. The most commonly used equivalent load. is heavy vehicle category, the vehicle damage factor values
the 18,000 lb (80 kN) equivalent single axle load (normally increases. The reason for selected the heavy vehicle category is
designated ESAL). At the time of its development it was much that the major damage done to the pavement of highway is by
easier to use a single number to represent all traffic loading in this category only. Thus it is not necessary to weigh vehicles of
the somewhat complicated empirical equations used for less than 1.5 tones weight, for example; motorcycles, cars, small
predicting pavement life. buses or small trucks with single rear tyres. Sometimes large
buses have quite high axle loads and therefore should be
Equivalent single axle load is calculated by using the load
weighed in the survey. The product of average axle load and the
equivalency factors (LEF) from AASHTO Guide for Design
load equivalency factor gives the equivalent single axle load
Pavement and Structure and then multiplying it to the frequency
which further results in vehicle damage factor
of the vehicle class. It will give the Equivalent Single Axle load
for desired Average axle load.

C. Vehicle Classification
The classification of vehicle is done on the basis of the load
carrying capacity of the vehicle. The heavy vehicle category is
useful for our experiment and it is further categorized by number
of axles and load carrying capacity. The overloaded vehicle B. Permissible Axle Loads in India
causes more damage to the pavement which directly affects the The policy at National level for the road system in India with
maintenance cost of the road. The vehicle classification for the regard to the Registered Laden Weight (RLM) limit (Govt. of
heavy vehicle category:- India 1992) was as follows:

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  Maximum Single Axle Load (with 2 Tyres) – 60 KN  Maximum Tandem Axle Load (with 8 Tyres) – 180 KN
(6.0 T) (18.0 T)
 Maximum Single Axle Load (with 2 Tyres) – 60 KN
(6.0 T)
Table.3. Data Analysis for Axle Load Survey

Total number of vehicles (5

Equivalent
in

in

in

in
Load
factor

Number of vehicles*
Single axle with

Single axle with

Tandem Axle

(Axle load

(Axle load

(Axle load

(Axle load
Tridem Axle

kg/14800)^4

kg/22400)^4
single wheel
Vehicle Category

Number of Axles

kg/6500)^4

kg/8000)^4
dual wheel
Serial number

Equivalency

Average
Factor
days)

Total

(E.F)

E.F
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 Buses 2 165 6095 6750 - 0 0.773 0.506 0 0 1.279 211.035

2 Medium 2 6240 6480 - 0 0.849 0.430 0 0 1.279 7737.95

Trucks 6050
2.80
~3
3 Heavy 3 1605 7850 10500 20650 0 2.127 2.967 3.789 0 8.595 13794.97
Trucks

4 Very 4/5 156 7540 8050 15550 0 1.810 1.025 1.21 0 4.045 631.02
Heavy
Trucks
7976
22374.97 A/B
B A

C. Overloaded Axles
Generally, the load carried by one truck is not the same as that Total number of buses and trucks axles = 2(165) + 2(6050) +
carried by an axle. Each axle load will impart a certain amount 3(1605) + 4(156). = 17869. Therefore, the proportion of
of damage or distress on the pavement. The degree of distress overloaded axle for trucks = 5127/17869 =28.69% for entire
caused by different loads of axle will increase as the magnitude commercial vehicle. The axle weight conversion shown in table
of load and repetitions increase. Under mixed traffic conditions, number 3 shows an average equivalent factor of 3 which is about
repetitions of different axles having different loads, plying on a 3 times the standard axle weight for road pavements.
road will not indicate any meaningful value related to how much D. Location of the study
damage has been caused to the pavement due to their combined
action. Different axle loads will cause different degree of
damages.

The above picture shows the details of the Indian standard axle.
With the standard axle of 80 kN resting on dual tyres on axle
configuration, it can be assumed that the axle on single tyres is
6.5 kN. In line with above assumptions to the data of table no 3,
the respective overloaded axles are computed as: The location of the study is near Itaunja toll plaza connecting
Lucknow to Delhi via Sitapur.
3 – Axle 3 (1605) + for 4 – axle 2(156) = 5127

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IV. CONCLUSIONS [5]. Khanna S. K, and Justo, C.E.G (2001). “Highway
Engineering”, 8thEdition, Nemchand and Bros, Civil Lines,
From the analysis of vehicle damage factor using axle load Publishers, Roorkee
survey data, the following conclusions can be drawn:-
 The axle weight conversion shown in table 3 shows that the [6]. Textbook of Highway Engineering, R.Srinivasa Kumar,
vehicle damage factor is about 3 times more than the University Press
average vehicle damage factor used for the Heavy
Commercial Vehicles (HCV), due to this amount of [7]. Kadiyali L.R, (1988) Traffic Engineering and Transportation
overloading, the pavement deterioration is 3 times faster Planning, Khanna Publishers New Delhi.
than the normal.
 The strength of the pavement structure is decreases by [8]. IRC: 70(1997) “Indian Road Congress, New Delhi,
overloading of single axle truck. The more overloading
results in more decrease of the strength of pavement [9]. www.maps.google.com
structure.
 Almost 30% of overloaded vehicle were moving on the [10]. www.wikipedia.com
pavement.
 The individual load equivalency factor of 3 axle vehicles is [11]. www.quora.com
more as compared to the remaining commercial vehicles
which is 26.94%
 Since the haulage cost is reduced by overloading and it
results in the economic benefit but it causes the earlier
failure of the road pavements. The premature failure of the
pavement causes loss of billions of rupees invested in road
infrastructure.
 There are many factors which results in overloading and
heavier axle loads on the road ,one of the reason is that the
new introduction of the more spacious trucks which
eventually alter the axle load distribution on the road. In
order to compete and keep themselves in the market by
keeping the haulage cost at minimum, the truck owner
generally overload their vehicle much beyond the their rated
capacity. To carry extra load, the vehicle owner strengthens
the vehicle body and adds extra suspension springs to
increase the height of the vehicle’s body

To solve the current situation here are the following suggestions

 To construct or improve road built quality to withstand

heavier loads.
 To Impose axle load limit and strict enforcement. This
seems to be the only viable solution for saving our road
infrastructure from the deterioration due to overloading and
bringing it at par with international standards. Most of the
highway engineers believe that unless a limit of axle load is
imposed, no matter how strong pavements are built, would
fail under the prevailing heavy loaded vehicles. The vehicle
overloading is seriously handicapping the improvement of
road network in many developing countries.
V. REFERENCES

[1]. Botswana Guideline 4 - Axle Load Surveys (2000)

[2]. IRC: 37-2012 Tentative guidelines for design of flexible

pavements.

[3]. IRC: 70(1997) “Guidelines on Regulation and control of

mixed traffic in Urban areas”

[4]. AASHTO, Guide for Design of Pavement Structures,

American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials, Washington, 1986

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