International Journal of Environmental Engineering and Development
E-ISSN: 2945-1159
Volume 2, 2024
The Effect of Axle Overloading and High Tire Pressure on Flexible Pavement Structure
Authors: , ,
Abstract: Axle overloading and high tire pressures on the highways and motorways in Pakistan are one of the
reasons that cause early pavement deterioration. There are numerous sections on the national highway on which
trucks are reposted to be operating at 40-80 percent higher tire pressure than the legal limit, and the axle
overloading is 30 percent greater than the legal axle load limit. This research aims at determining the effect of
axle overloading and high tire pressure on the flexible pavement structure and derive the truck factors for trucks
in order to quantify the damage to the pavement due to a single pass of 2-axle, 3-axle, 4-axle, 5-axle, and 6-axle
truck using the results reported in the Pilot Axle Load Survey conducted by the National Transport Research
Centre. In order to determine the effect of axle overloading and high tire pressure, a theoretical linear elastic
mechanistic empirical analysis for different axle configurations was performed using KENLAYER and
regression models were developed to find the Equivalent Axle Load Factor (EALFs) for the fatigue cracking,
and permanent deformation. It was found that the EALFs were mostly controlled by permanent deformation
distress criterion. The EALFs and the truck factors were highly influenced by the axle loads rather than the tire
pressure. The 3-axle truck was found to be the most damaging truck followed by 6-axle truck, 5-axle truck, 2-
axle truck, and 4-axle truck.
Search Articles
Pages: 35-51
DOI: 10.37394/232033.2024.2.4