Weight characteristics of predominant truck configurations in Manitoba

The thesis researches truck weights in Manitoba. Its purpose is to develop axle load spectra that accurately represent static and dynamic axle load distributions for trucks operating on Manitoba highways. Monitoring and understanding truck weights has become a principal focus for traffic monitoring activity in North America, especially with increased levels of awareness of the impacts truck traffic have on transportation systems. This focus on trucking activity and truck weights is reflected in traffic data collection guidelines provided in the most recent U.S. FHWA Traffic Monitoring Guide and Long Term Pavement Performance Program (LTPP) publications. The need for axle load spectra is further magnified with the shift to a mechanistic-based design procedure for pavements by AASHTO. The imminent introduction of a new (2002) AASHTO Pavement Design Guide will require axle load spectra as traffic load inputs for the pavement design software included.; The thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of static truck weights accumulated using a truck data collection system created during the course of the research, and also dynamic truck weights from Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) devices. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...