Impact analysis of laterally distributed truck wheel loads on pavement performance of multilane highway using strip-based approach

Abstract

The lateral distribution of truck wheel loads is a natural phenomenon observed on multi-lane roads, as not all the vehicles travelling along a road are using the same wheel path. The lateral distribution of wheel loads is a critical concern from a pavement design point of view as it signifies how the traffic loads are distributed on multi-lane roads. Thus, there is a need to evaluate the exact position of laterally distributed vehicles on multi-lane roads. In this study, the strip-based concept is used to identify the exact location of the passing vehicle along the road. The impacts of these loads were measured in terms of pavement damage analysis using the layered elastic method. In this regard, a strip with the maximum number of axle repetitions is identified called the critical strip, and quantified the fatigue and rutting damage ratio of the critical strip. Further, damage analysis is conducted for the most accumulated lane named design lane, and compared their fatigue and rutting damage ratio with the fatigue and rutting damage ratio of the critical strip. The findings of the study indicate that the design of pavement using lane-based analysis will overestimate the thickness of the pavement as compared to strip-based analysis.