AASHTO TECHNICAL COMMITTEE T-18

NCHRP Project 12-63 PHASE II

AASHTO LOAD MODELS FOR
BRIDGE RATING & POSTING

Bala Sivakumar
Lichtenstein Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Paramus, New Jersey
May, 2006
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NCHRP PROJECT 12-63 PROJECT TEAM

PRIME CONTRACTOR:
LICHTENSTEIN CONSULTING ENGINEERS, INC.
BALA SIVAKUMAR – PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

CONSULTANTS:
Dr. FRED MOSES --- CALIBRATION STUDIES
Dr. GONGKANG FU -– WIM DATA COLLECTION
Dr. MICHEL GHOSN --- TRAFFIC SIMULATIONS

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 NCHRP PROJECT 12-63 OBJECTIVE

• Investigate recent developments in specialized

truck configurations and State legal loads
• Recommend revisions to the AASHTO legal loads
as depicted in the current AASHTO Manual for
Condition Evaluation and the new AASHTO LRFR
Guide Manual.

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 NCHRP PROJECT 12-63

PHASE I
JULY 2003 ------ DECEMBER 2004
RECOMMEND AASHTO LEGAL LOADS FOR TRUCKS
UNDER 80,000 # THAT SATISFY FORMULA B

PHASE II
JANUARY 2005 ------ JUNE 2006

RECOMMEND AASHTO LEGAL LOADS FOR TRUCKS

UNDER 80,000 # THAT DO NOT SATISFY FORMULA B

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 PHASE I

SPECIALIZED HAULING
VEHICLES THAT MEET
BRIDGE FORMULA B

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2005 REVISIONS TO AASHTO LOAD
RATING PROVISIONS

NOTIONAL RATING LOAD NRL

V’ 4 4 4 4 4 4
’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’

K K K K K K K K
6 8 8 17 17 8 8 8

• GVW = 80 KIPS

• V — 6’0” TO 14’-0”. SPACING

• AXLES THAT DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE MAXIMUM

LOAD EFFECT UNDER CONSIDERATION SHALL BE
NEGLECTED.
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 2005 REVISIONS TO AASHTO LOAD
RATING PROVISIONS
NEW POSTING LOADS FOR SHVs

SU4 TRUCK
10’ 4’ 4’
GVW = 54 KIPS

12K 8K 17K 17K

SU5 TRUCK
GVW = 62 KIPS
10’ 4’ 4’ 4’

12K 8K 8K 17K 17K

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 2005 REVISIONS TO AASHTO LOAD
RATING PROVISIONS
NEW POSTING LOADS FOR SHVs

SU6 TRUCK
10’ 4’ 4’ 4’ 4’
GVW = 69.5 KIPS

K K K K K K
11.5 8 8 17 17 8

SU7 TRUCK
10’ 4’ 4’ 4’ 4’ 4’
GVW = 77.5 KIPS

11.5K 8K 8K 17K 17K 8K 8K

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 NCHRP 12-63 PHASE II

SPECIALIZED HAULING
VEHICLES THAT DO NOT
MEET BRIDGE FORMULA B

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 LRFR POSTING LOADS & LOAD FACTORS
FOR GRANDFATHER TRUCKS

ƒ MANY STATES EXEMPT CERTAIN SHORT HAULING

TRUCKS FROM FORMULA B LIMITS
ƒ NO GUIDANCE IN THE AASHTO EVALUATION
MANUALS ON HOW TO LOAD RATE & POST FOR
THESE TRUCKS
ƒ THERE IS A NEED FOR CALIBRATED LIVE LOAD
FACTORS FOR GRANDFATHER TRUCKS SUITABLE
FOR INCLUSION IN THE AASHTO LRFR GUIDE MANUAL
(2003) The Manual for Bridge Evaluation

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STATE LEGAL LOADS – NCHRP 12-63 Survey

Legal vehicles used for load rating and posting in 2003:

• AASHTO Loads Only 11 States

• State Legal Loads Only 23 States

• Both 11 States

MANY STATE LEGAL LOADS EXCEED FORMULA B LIMITS

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EXEMPTIONS UNDER GRANDFATHER RIGHTS

NCHRP 12-63 SURVEY:

Q 2.1: Does your state exempt certain single-unit
Specialized Hauling Vehicles (SHVs) and/or
trucks carrying certain commodities from
Formula B and federal axle weight limits?

Of the 40 states that responded, 28 replied yes.

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EXEMPTIONS UNDER GRANDFATHER RIGHTS

NCHRP 12-63 SURVEY:

Q 3.1: Does your state’s legal loads for bridge rating and
posting include single-unit trucks that do not
meet Federal Bridge Formula B?

Yes: 17 States
No: 8 States

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EXEMPTIONS UNDER GRANDFATHER RIGHTS

NCHRP 12-63 SURVEY:

Q 3.2: How is the posting weight limit determined for
these non-Formula B trucks?

Inventory Level: 3 States

Operating Level: 17 States
Other: 7 States

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3-AXLE CONCRETE TRUCK

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4-AXLE DUMP TRUCK

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 GRANDFATHER TRUCKS USED BY THE
STATES LEGAL LOADS FOR POSTING

15 15 22.5 22.5 Alabama Tri-Axle GVW = 75 Kips

11’ 4’ 4’

16 19 19 19 GVW = 73 Kips
Delaware DE 4
8’ 4.5’ 4.5’

13.9 18.7 18.7 18.7 Florida SU4 GVW = 70 Kips

10’ 4’-2” 4’-2”

13.5 18 22.5 22.5 Connecticut GVW = 76.5 Kips

9’-7” 4’-1” 4’-6” Construction Vehicle

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GRANDFATHER TRUCKS USED BY THE
STATES LEGAL LOADS FOR POSTING

13.68 20.6 20.6 20.6 Pennsylvania ML80 GVW = 73.28 Kips

10’ 4’ 4’

18.4 25.3 25.3 Texas (Concrete Truck) GVW = 69 Kips

10’ 4’

16 27 27 Delaware DE 3 GVW = 70 Kips

12.33’ 4.5’

20 23 23 Georgia Type 3 GVW = 66 Kips

15’ 4’

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 MORE SEVERE NON-FORMULA B TRUCKS

Formula B Excess Over

No of Truck Weight
State Truck Designation Total Spacing Limit for Gross Formula B Limit
Axles (K)
Wt (K) (K)
Delaware DE 3 3 16.83 70.00 48.60 21.40
Florida SU3 3 15.17 66.00 47.40 18.60

Construction Vehicle
Connecticut 4 18.20 76.50 54.10 22.40
T4
Delaware DE 4 4 17.00 73.00 52.90 20.10
Florida SU4 4 18.34 70.00 53.70 16.30
Pennsylvania ML80 4 18.00 75.48 54.00 21.48

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 REPRESENTATIVE NON-FORMULA B TRUCKS
FOR CALIBRATION OF LOAD FACTORS

•Calibration was done for a limited number of

Formula-B exemptions.
• Connecticut 4-Axle and Delaware 3-axle truck
models were selected (most severe).
•The States can also use the calibrated load
factor γL but apply a nominal loading based on
their own non-Formula B truck. (There are many
variations to federal weight law exclusions )

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 CALIBRATION TRUCKS FOR
NON-FORMULA B SHVs

16 27 27 EX-3 GVW = 70 Kips

12’-4” 4’-6”

13.5 18 22.5 22.5 EX- 4 GVW = 76.5 Kips

9’-7” 4’-1” 4’-6”

STATES CAN SUBSTITUTE STATE-SPECIFIC GRANDFATHER

LEGAL LOADS —– USE SAME LIVE LOAD FACTORS

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GOVERNING SIMPLE SPAN RANGES
Simple Spans
Span (ft.) Moment Shear 3 Moment Shear 4
3 Axle Axle 4 Axle Axle
20 EX-3 EX-3 EX-4 EX-4
30 EX-3 EX-3 EX-4 EX-4
40 EX-3 EX-3 EX-4 EX-4
50 NRL EX-3 EX-4 EX-4
60 NRL EX-3 EX-4 EX-4
70 NRL EX-3 EX-4 EX-4
80 NRL NRL EX-4 EX-4
90 NRL NRL EX-4 EX-4
100 NRL NRL NRL EX-4
110 NRL NRL NRL EX-4
120 NRL NRL NRL EX-4
130 NRL NRL NRL EX-4
140 NRL NRL NRL EX-4
150 NRL NRL NRL EX-4
160 NRL NRL NRL EX-4
170 NRL NRL NRL EX-4
180 HS20 HS20 HS20 HS20
190 HS20 HS20 HS20 HS20
200 HS20 HS20 HS20 HS20 Lichtenstein
 MAXIMUM OVERSTRESS RATIOS

Maximum Overstress Ratios for Spans from 10 ft to 200 ft.

Force Effect Maximum Maximum
Overstress Ratio = Overstress Ratio =
EX-3 / NRL or EX-4 / NRL or HS20
HS20
Simple Span Bending 1.45 1.27
Simple Span Shear 1.47 1.29
Two-Span Cont. Positive Bending 1.50 1.28
Two-Span Cont. Negative Bending 1.11 1.25
Two-Span Cont. Shear 1.40 1.24
Three-Span Cont. Positive Bending 1.47 1.35
Three-Span Cont. Negative Bending 1.11 1.13
Three-Span Cont. Shear 1.42 1.33
Four-Span Cont. Positive Bending 1.46 1.33
Four-Span Cont. Negative Bending 1.05 1.04
Four-Span Cont. Shear 1.40 1.30

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 LRFR LOAD RATING PROCESS

1) DESIGN LOAD RATING (HL-93)

2) LEGAL LOAD RATING (AASHTO & STATE LEGAL

LOADS)

3) PERMIT LOAD RATING (OVERWEIGHT TRUCKS)

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 RATING LOAD MODEL FOR NON-
FORMULA B TRUCKS

• LRFR REQUIRES AN INITIAL HL-93 CHECK TO

IDENTIFY BRIDGES “AT RISK”: BRIDGES THAT
MAY REQUIRE LOAD POSTING.

• HL-93 SHOULD REPLACE THE “NOTIONAL

RATING LOAD” DEVELOPED IN PHASE I AS
THE RATING LOAD MODEL FOR BRIDGES
EXPOSED TO NON-FORMULA B SINGLE-UNIT
TRUCKS.

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LONGITUDINAL MOMENT RATIOS
Span EX-3/HL- EX-4/HL-
HL93 EX-3 EX-4
Length 93 93
10 88.0 81.0 70.9 0.92 0.81
20 232.0 212.6 228.4 0.92 0.98
30 397.0 368.8 398.6 0.93 1.00
40 578.0 543.7 589.2 0.94 1.02
50 820.0 718.6 780.0 0.88 0.95
60 1088.0 893.5 971.0 0.82 0.89
70 1372.0 1068.5 1162.1 0.78 0.85
80 1672.0 1243.5 1353.2 0.74 0.81
90 1988.0 1418.4 1544.4 0.71 0.78
100 2320.0 1593.4 1735.5 0.69 0.75
110 2668.0 1768.4 1926.7 0.66 0.72
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120 3032.0 1943.4 2117.9 0.64 0.70
 HL-93: RATING LIVE LOAD FOR
EXCLUSION VEHICLES

MOMENT RATIO = EXCLUSION VEHICLE POPULATION

HL-93

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 CALIBRATION OF LOAD FACTORS FOR
NON-FORMULA B TRUCKS
• A projection to the maximum loading event
during a two-year evaluation interval must be
made. Two-lane multiple presence usually gives
the worst loading effect.

• The calibration of live load factors must account

for possible overloads in the truck population.

• The issue of overweight trucks could be even

more severe for the heavier loaded non--
Formula B trucks.

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MULTIPLE-PRESENCE DATA

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 NCHRP 12-63 PHASE II
WIM DATA COLLECTION FOR CALIBRATION
ƒ DATA WAS COLLECTED AT THREE WIM SITES IN IDAHO,
MICHIGAN & OHIO. ACCURATE TRUCK ARRIVAL TIMES
WERE OBTAINED.
ƒ DATA WAS USED TO ESTABLISH ACCURATE HEADWAY
SEPARATIONS AND SIDE-BY-SIDE PROBABILITIES ON
MULTI-LANE BRIDGES.

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 MULTIPLE-PRESENCE PROBABILITIES

Maximum Multiple Presence Probabilities (%) for All Trucks

(Ref: NCHRP 12-63)
Headway
Separation Idaho I-84 New York I-
Ohio I-75 Michigan US 73
(ft) 295
(2 lanes) (3 lanes) (2 lanes)
(2 Lanes)
Max ADTT = Max ADTT = Max ADTT = Max ADTT
4680 10,500 5200 = 6400
<5’ 0.18 0.05 0.26 0.54
<20’ 0.55 0.84 0.54 1.08
<30’ 0.92 1.28 2.14 1.18
<40’ 1.11 1.98 2.27 1.35
<50’ 1.33 2.58 2.52 1.52
<60’ 1.37 3.35 3.47 1.67

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 LRFR LIVE LOAD FACTORS

•SHVs Usually Constitute a Very Small Percentage

of Total Truck Traffic
•Changed Multiple Presence Probabilities for
SHVs (Similar to Permit Crossings).
•Reduced LRFR Live Load Factors are Likely for
SHVs.
•LFR uses the same load factors for all loads

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TRUCK MULTIPLE PRESENCE

Lane 1 Lane 2 Calibration of γL

Type 3 Type 3 Governs Routine
Commercial Trucks
Type 3 SHV Governs SHVs

SHV SHV Low number of events.

Does not govern

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 PROPOSED REVISIONS TO LRFR
LOAD RATING PROVISIONS
6.4.4.2.1.3 Exclusion Vehicles
Single-unit trucks EX-3 and EX-4 shown in Appendix
B6.2-3 have been used as two calibration trucks for
deriving the load factors for exclusion vehicles given in
Table 6-5-3.
Trucks EX-3 and EX-4 may be used as representative
exclusion vehicles for load rating bridges; The states
can also use the calibrated load factor but apply a
nominal loading based on their own exclusion vehicles.

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 PROPOSED REVISIONS TO LRFR
LOAD RATING PROVISIONS
Table 6-5-3 LRFR Live Load
Factors for Exclusion Vehicles
Traffic Volume Load Factor for EX-3, Load Factor for
(One Direction) EX-4, State Exclusion Type 3, Type
Trucks 3S2, Type 3-3
Unknown 1.60 1.80

ADTT ≥ 5000 1.60 1.80

ADTT = 1000 1.40 1.65

ADTT ≤ 100 1.30 1.40

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 PROPOSED REVISIONS TO LRFR
LOAD RATING PROVISIONS
6.8.2 Posting Loads
The live load to be used for posting considerations
should be any of the typical AASHTO legal loads given
below or state legal loads:
ƒ Type 3, Type 3S2, Type 3-3 or lane loads for routine
single and combination commercial vehicles, and,
ƒ A single Type SU4, Type SU5, Type SU6, Type SU7
for single-unit specialized hauling vehicles satisfying
Formula B.
ƒ A State’s own exclusion vehicles

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