Protocols for Collecting and Using Traffic Data in Bridge Design

A new vehicular live-load model was developed for the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications because the HS20 truck from AASHTO's Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges did not accurately represent service-level truck traffic. The HL93, a combination of the HS20 truck and lane loads, was developed using 1975 truck data from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to project a 75-year live-load occurrence. Because truck traffic volume and weight have increased and truck configurations have become more complex, the Ontario data do not represent present traffic loadings. Other design live loads were based on past practice and did not consider actual or projected truck traffic. Although the quality and quantity of traffic data has improved in recent years, it has not been used to update the bridge design loads. Methods of using enhanced traffic data for bridge design need to be developed. The objective of this project is to develop and demonstrate the application of protocols for collecting and processing traffic data to calibrate national bridge live-load models.

• Record URL:
  http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=365

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $300000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 12-76

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Project Managers:

  Beal, David

• Performing Organizations:

  Lichtenstein Consulting Engineers, Incorporated

  ,    
• Principal Investigators:

  Sivakumar, Bala

• Start Date: 20060301
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20080901
• Source Data: RiP Project 11097

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge engineering; Bridges; Gross weight; Gross weight; Highway bridges; Live loads; Research projects; Truck traffic; Vehicle weight; Weigh in motion
• Identifier Terms: National Cooperative Highway Research Program
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Data and Information Technology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01463022
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Cooperative Highway Research Program
• Contract Numbers: Project 12-76
• Files: RIP, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 3 2013 2:15PM