EFFECT OF CONCESSIONAL /

INCREASED AXLE MASS LIMIT ON

PAVEMENT DETERIORATION AND
THE IMPACT ON COUNCILS
BOTTOM-LINE

KANWAL SINGH

OBJECTIVES :

UNDERSTANDING CONCESSIONAL AXLE MASS LIMITS ON

ROAD PAVEMENTS.
UNDERSTANDING IMPACT OF CONCESSIONAL LOADING
RESULTING IN PREMATURE PAVEMENT
WEAR
FATIGUE FAILURE
LOSS OF LIFE
UNDERSTANDING COST TO COMMUNITY

REINSTATING PAVEMENT TO ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS.

UNDERSTANDING IMPACT OF MASS MANAGEMENT SCHEME.
2

FINDING THE SHIRE OF KALAMUNDA

GENERAL ACCESS VEHICLES

NETWORK 6 VEHICLES ( 36.5 METRES)

NETWORK 7 VEHICLES ( 36.5 METRES)

CONCESSIONAL LOADING SCHEME

1. Bulk Cargo
Triaxle up to 23.5 T

2. Import/Export Containers.
Additional mass of up to 7.0 Ton on Triaxle Groups & 1.5 T on
Tandem

3. Certified Weighbridge Mass Management Scheme

Up to 21.5T on Triaxles and 17.0t on Tandem Axles

4. Livestock
23T on Triaxles and 18.5 Ton Tandem axles

5. National scheme
Allows heavy vehicles to operate with additional mass on
certain axle groups
Uses a restricted road network
7

MASS MANAGEMENT SCHEME

THE SCHEME WILL ROLL INTO ONE
CERTIFIED WEIGHBRIDGE MASS MANAGEMENT SCHEME
(CWMS)
CONCESSIONAL LOADING BULK MANAGEMENT SCHEME
(CLS)

PURPOSE OF THE SCHEME

NO PERMITS
ALLOWS TRANSPORTERS TO RUN WITHOUT SEEKING PERMITS FOR
CLS FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENT / MAIN ROADS.

MMS CONCESSIONS WILL BE LEGISLATED BY THE STATE

GOVERNMENT.
THE NEW MMS SYSTEM WILL NOT BE ROUTE SPECIFIC.
8

PAVEMENT FAILURE

DYNAMICS OF AXLE GROUPS

LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE TYPE AND MAGNITUDE OF
WHEEL LOADS THAT HEAVY VEHICLES APPLY TO A
PAVEMENT WHEN IN MOTION
THERE IS DEBATE ABOUT THE NATURE OF THESE LOADS
AND THEIR PAVEMENT DAMAGING EFFECTS
MANY ASSUMPTIONS ARE MADE

10

FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT STRUCTURE

WEARING COURSE
BASE COURSE
SUBBASE

SUBGRADE

11

LOAD DAMAGE EXPONENTS

UNBOUND GRANULAR PAVEMENTS
STANDARD AXLE LOAD 8.2 TONNE (80 KN)

40 kN

40 kN

60 kN

60 kN

80 kN

80 kN
12

STANDARD AXLE & PAVEMENT DESIGN

STANDARD AXLE
SINGLE AXLE WITH DUAL TYRES (SADT) APPLIES AN AXLE
LOAD OF 80KN (8.16T) TO THE PAVEMENT.

THE CANDIDATE PAVEMENT IS ANALYSED

THIS DETERMINES
THE ALLOWABLE NUMBER OF STANDARD AXLE
REPETITIONS
AND NEEDS TO EQUAL OR EXCEED
THE NUMBER OF STANDARD AXLE REPETITIONS FOR
THE DESIGN PERIOD OF THE PAVEMENT.

13

EQUIVALENT STANDARD AXLE (ESA)

TRAFFIC LOADINGS IN TERMS OF ESA
5.4 TON (53kN)
(1 ESA)

SINGLE AXLE SINGLE TYRE

13.8 TON (135kN)
(1 ESA)

TANDEM AXLE DUAL TYRE

8.2 TON (80kN)

(1 ESA)

SINGLE AXLE DUAL TYRE

18.5 TON (181kN)
(1 ESA)

TRI-AXLE WITH DUAL TYRES

14

AXLE GROUP LOAD & STANDARD AXLES

PAVEMENT DAMAGE DUE TO AXLE GROUP LOADS
CALCULATED USING STANDARD LOADS
ASSUMED TO CAUSE THE SAME WEAR AS THE 80 KN STANDARD AXLE

EMPIRICALLY DERIVED
ASSUMING EQUAL MAXIMUM SURFACE DEFLECTION
UNDER AN AXLE GROUP LOAD CAUSES EQUAL DAMAGE.

AXLE GROUP LOAD (KN)

AXLE GROUP TYPE
STANDARD LOAD

SAST

SADT

TAST

TADT

TRDT

QADT

53

80

90

135

181

221

15

AXLE GROUP TYPES AND CRITICAL LOADS

AXLE GROUP LOAD (TONNE)

AXLE GROUP TYPE

SAST

SADT

TAST

TADT

TRDT

QADT

STANDARD LOAD

5.4

8.16

9.18

13.77

18.46

22.54

REFERENCE LOAD

6.0

9.0

10.0

16.5

20.0

22.5

STANDARD LOAD: AXLE GROUP LOAD THAT PRODUCES

SAME LEVEL OF ROAD WEAR AS STANDARD AXLE
REFERENCE LOAD: AXLE GROUP LOAD CORRESPONDING
TO CURRENT OR EQUIVALENT REGULATORY LIMIT
16

EQUIVALENT STANDARD AXLE FOR CARS

TO ADD SOME CONTEXT

17

FOURTH POWER LAW

UNBOUND PAVEMENTS

18

4TH POWER SUMMARY

PAVEMENT DAMAGE IS RELATED TO TRUCK
AXLE LOADS, NOT TRUCK GROSS MASS
THE 4TH POWER RULE REFERS TO PAVEMENT
WEAR, NOT OVERLOAD FAILURE
EVEN GREATER LOADS ARE IMPOSED BY
DYNAMIC LOADS

19

PAVEMENT DAMAGE CALCULATION METHOD

VEHICLE ROAD WEAR = [LOADA / STANDARD LOADA] ^ DAMAGE EXP.
REFERENCE WEAR = [REFERENCE LOADA/ STANDARD LOADA] ^ DAMAGE EXP.
DAMAGE EXPONENT : 4,5,7&12

4 - GRANULAR PAVEMENT WITH THIN BITUMEN SURFACING

5 - FATIGUE OF ASPHALT
7 - RUTTING AND SHAPE LOSS
12 - FATIGUE OF CEMENTED MATERIALS

A
LOADA
STANDARD LOADA

= AXLE GROUP TYPE

= PROPOSED LOAD ON AXLE GROUP A (TONNES)
= AXLE GROUP LOAD THAT PRODUCES THE SAME LEVEL
OF ROAD WEAR AS A STANDARD AXLE (TONNE)
REFERENCE LOADA = AXLE GROUP LOAD CORRESPONDING TO CURRENT
OR EQUIVALENT REGULATORY LIMIT (TONNE)

20

LOAD EQUIVALENCE
LOAD CAUSING SAME DAMAGE = LOAD CAUSING SAME DEFLECTION

STEER TANDEM

QUAD

TRIAXLE

STAND. 5.4 T

13.8 T

22.5 T

18.5 T

REF.

16.5 T

23.5 T

20.0 T

6.0 T

21

DAMAGE EFFECT VS AXLE LOADS

OVERALL PAVEMENT DAMAGE (M=4) [23.5 / 18.5]4 = 2.6 (ESA)
8.2 TON
(1 ESA)

18.5 TON
(1 ESA)

EQUIVALENT
TRI-AXLE
SINGLE AXLE DUAL TYRE
23.5 TON

8.2 TON
(1 ESA)

8.2 TON
(1 ESA)

8.2 TON
(1 ESA)

EQUIVALENT4

22

DIFFERENTIAL RATES ANALYSIS DUE TO LOSS OF

PAVEMENT LIFE - ROADS

ROAD NAME

TRAFFIC
COUNTS

COMMERCIAL
VEHICLES %

LENGTH KM

BERKSHIRE
ROAD

3,600

18%

3.55

11,636

ABERNETHY
ROAD

13,000

40%

6.23

114,571

DUNDAS ROAD

4,800

13%

5.68

48,568

CHISHOLM
CRESCENT

6,000

22%

1.64

15,032

23%
(AVERAGE)

17.1 kM
(TOTAL)

6,850

PAVEMENT
AREA (M2)

189,807 M2
(TOTAL)

23

PAVEMENT LIFE ANALYSIS DESIGN SHEET

ABERNETHY ROAD, DUNDAS ROAD, CHISHOLM CRESCENT & BERKSHIRE ROAD

AVERAGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES (AADT)

DESIGN PERIOD

LANE DISTRIBUTION FACTOR

ANNUAL GROWTH RATE

3.00%

AVERAGE PERCENTAGE HEAVY VEHICLES

23.0%

CUMULATIVE GROWTH FACTOR

CUMULATIVE TRAFFIC LOADINGS (NDT)

NHVAG (HEAVY VEHICLE AXLE GROUP PER HEAVY VEHICLE)FROM TABLE 7.5 FOR
URBAN ROADS

NDT ( NUMBER OF STANDARD AXLES GENERATED)

10

CBR VALUE

11

THICKNESS OF PAVEMENT

6,850

20 YEARS
0.5

26.87
7,726,005
2.5
19,315,013
12
310MM

24

PAVEMENT LIFE ANALYSIS DESIGN SHEET 2

ROADS WITH SAME NUMBER OF VEHICLES WITH NORMAL COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

NO OF VEHICLES ( AADT)

DESIGN PERIOD

LANE DISTRIBUTION FACTOR

ANNUAL GROWTH RATE

PERCENTAGE HEAVY VEHICLES

8.0%

CUMULATIVE GROWTH FACTOR

75.40

CUMULATIVE TRAFFIC LOADINGS (NDT)

NHVAG (HEAVY VEHICLE AXLE GROUP PER HEAVY VEHICLE)FROM TABLE 7.5 FOR
URBAN ROADS

NDT ( NUMBER OF STANDARD AXLES GENERATED)

10

CBR VALUE

11

THICKNESS OF PAVEMENT

6,850
40 YEARS
0.5
3.00%

7,540,880
2.5
18,852,200
12
310 mm

25

LOAD CALCULATION / PAVEMENT LIFE

AXLE GROUP LOAD (TONNE)
AXLE GROUP TYPE

SAST

SADT TAST

TADT

TRDT

QADT

TOTAL

STANDARD LOAD
(TON)

5.4

8.16

9.18

13.77

18.46

22.54

REFERENCE LOAD

6.0

9.0

10.0

16.5

20.0

22.5

CONCESSIONAL
LOAD

6.0

16.5

23.5

STANDARDS AXLE
GENERATED DUE TO
REFERENCE LOAD

(6.0/5.4)4
=1.52

(16.5/13.77)4
=2.06

(20/18.46)4
=1.38

4.96

STANDARD AXLE DUE

TO CONCESSIONAL
LOAD

(6.0/5.4)^
4=1.52

(16.5/13.77)4
=2.06

(23.5/18.46)4
=2.63

6.21

26

LOAD CALCULATION / PAVEMENT LIFE

EXTRA STANDARD AXLES GENERATED DUE
TO REFERENCE LOAD

= 4.96 - 3

= 1.96

ADDITIONAL AXLE GENERATED DUE TO

CONCESSIONAL LOADING

= 6.21 - 4.96

= 1.25

TOTAL EXTRA STANDARD AXLES

GENERATED

= 1.96 + 1.25

= 3.21

ASSUMING 15 % STANDARD AXLES ARE

GENERATED DUE TO TRIAXLE

= 0.15 x 7 x 106

= 1.2 MILLION
AXLES

ADDITIONAL S-AXLES DUE TO CLS ON

TRIAXLES

=1.2 x 1.25

=1.5 MILLION

FOR 20 YEARS LIFE WITH 23% COMMERCIAL

VEHICLES

= 7 x 106 SAR

LOSS OF LIFE

= 1.5 / 7 x 100

= 21.43%

REMAINING LIFE

= 20 - 4.3

= 15.7 YEARS

27

DIFFERENTIAL RATES ANALYSIS DUE TO LOSS OF

PAVEMENT LIFE - COSTS
COST OF RECONSTRUCTION
(AVERAGE)

$55 PER M2

PAVEMENT AREA (TOTAL)

189,807 M2 (LENGTH 17 KM)

COST OF RECONSTRUCTION (TOTAL)

$10,439,385.00

COST ANALYSIS & PAVEMENT LIFE

TRAFFIC TYPE
NORMAL: COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
(8%)
HIGH: COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
(23%)
CONCESSIONAL LOADING ON
TRIAXLE
LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO HIGHER
AXLE MASS LIMITS ON TRIAXLE

LIFESPAN

COST PER YEAR

(AVERAGE)

40 YEARS

$260,984.00

20 YEARS

$521,969.00

15.7 YEARS

$664,928.00

4.3 YEARS
(21.43%)

$142,959.00

28

CONCLUSIONS

CONCESSIONAL LOADING LEADS TO PREMATURE DAMAGE

OF PAVEMENT. ( EXPONENTIAL DAMAGE)
UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH IN COMMERCIAL VEHICLES DUE
TO RESOURCES BOOM IS THE CATALYST FOR PREMATURE
FAILURE OF PAVEMENT.
LOSS OF PAVEMENT LIFE TRANSLATES TO
INCREASED LEVEL OF FUNDING
COST TO THE COMMUNITY
TO MAINTAIN ROADS TO DEFINED SERVICE CRITERIA.

29

CONCLUSIONS

MORE FUNDING MEANS

EXTRA RESOURCES NEED TO BE GENERATED EITHER BY
INCREASE OF RATES ( DIFFERENTIAL) OR
INTRODUCTIONS OF LEVIES ON TRUCK MOVEMENTS CARRYING
CONCESSIONAL LOADING.

NO MASS MANAGEMENT SCHEME

UNLESS ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS PROVIDED TO LOCAL
GOVERNMENT.

30

31

QUESTIONS?

The effect of
Concessional /
Increased Axle
Mass Limits
on
Pavement
Deterioration

And
The Impact on
Councils
bottom-line

32

ROAD NETWORKS 1 TO 9

33

NETWORK 2 VEHICLES ( 27.5 METRES)

34

NETWORK 1 VEHICLES (20.0 METRES)

35

NETWORK 2 VEHICLES ( 27.5 METRES)

36

NETWORK 3,4 & 5 VEHICLES ( 36.5 METRES)

37