Report on the Design of the Structural Section of City and County Roads

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Report on the Design of the Structural Section of City and County Roads

E. Shirley / D. Anderson

The distribution of wheel loads on certain city streets and country roads is evaluated and a comparison is made with wheel loads found on state highways. The need for this study has long been the subject of discussion among engineers designing local roads with the use of wheel load criteria derived from trucks using the state highways. It was found that trucks using local roads, generally have lighter axle loads on a cumulative basis than trucks traveling on state highways. Truck constants were derived from the axle load data collected for this study. These truck constants exhibit a substantial reduction when compared with the state-wide truck constants for state highways. Sample designs are presented showing reductions in design thickness. A method for calculating truck constants is presented. Instructions to help with selection and operation of loadometer sites are also included in the appendix. (Author)