Traffic:

Loading & Volume

Dr. E Fungo
University of Dar es Salaam
General
As far as traffic is concerned, the structural
deterioration of paved roads depends on:
 Magnitude of the loads - axle loads
 Contact pressure from the loads
 Number of load repetitions
 Speed

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Traffic counts
 Only heavy vehicles should be counted for the
purpose of structural pavement design
 Heavy vehicles are defined as those having a
registered un-laden weight of 3 tonnes or more
 Large buses having a seating capacity of 40 or
more are included as heavy vehicles
 Traffic counts shall be carried out in a manner
that results in a grouping of vehicle types into
the categories given in the following table (next
slide)
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 Traffic counts
Heavy vehicle Definition
category
Medium Goods -2 axles, incl. steering axle,
Vehicle (MGV) -3 tonnes empty weight, or more
Heavy Goods -3 axles, incl. steering axle, and
Vehicle (HGV) -3 tonnes empty weight, or more
Very Heavy Goods -4 or more axles , incl. steering axle,
Vehicle (VHGV) -3 tonnes empty weight, or more
Buses Seating capacity of 40, or more

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 Axle load surveys
 All design of bitumen surfaced road pavements
are based on project-dedicated axle load surveys
 The measurements shall include a minimum of
one survey of 7-day duration - over 24 hours -
covering each lane
 The required minimum information from the axle
load survey shall include the following:
• axle loads of all heavy vehicles whether empty or
loaded
• vehicle category
• loading in each direction of the road
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 Axle load surveys
 Each axle in a multi-axle combination (e.g.
double, triple, etc.) shall be measured separately.
 The survey point shall be equipped with sufficient
capacity to weigh all heavy vehicles that are
passing in all directions at a time, both empty and
loaded.

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 Equivalency factor
 The damaging effect of an axle passing over the
pavement is expressed by the equivalency factor
related to an equivalent standard axle (E80) of
8160 kg load
 Equivalency factor = [Axle Load (kg) / 8160]4.5
 The Vehicle Equivalency Factor (VEF) for every
vehicle in the axle load survey is determined and
an average value is subsequently calculated for
each heavy vehicle category, for each
direction/lane separately

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 Equivalency factor
 The average VEF for each heavy vehicle
category, for each direction/lane, is then be
applied to the results from traffic counts to give
the cumulative E80s traffic loading the pavement
is subjected to over a given period.

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 Axles loaded to above 13 tonnes
 The proportion of the design traffic loading as a result of
axles loaded to above 13 tonnes shall be calculated from
axle load survey data
 If this proportion is 50% or higher then the design traffic
loading is defined as heavy, denoted by an index - H to the
Traffic Load Class as input to the pavement design
catalogue
 The axle load data from the lane with the highest value of
E80 shall be used
 The heavy axles’ proportion of E80 is calculated as follows:

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 Traffic growth
 The following estimations of future growth are required:
• Growth in the number of heavy vehicles
• Growth in the number of E80 per vehicle (Vehicle
Equivalency Factor)
 Total growth rate
For each heavy vehicle category, the total E80 growth rate is
calculated from the formula:
E80 growth rate = [(1 +h/100) x (1+v/100) - 1] x 100
Where:
• h = growth rate in traffic volume for the heavy vehicle
category
• v = growth rate in vehicle equivalency factor (E80 per
vehicle) for the heavy vehicle category
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 Types of traffic
 Normal traffic: Traffic that would use the route
regardless of the condition of the road
 Diverted traffic: Traffic that moves from an
alternative route due to the improvement of the
road, but otherwise unchanged origin and
destination
 Generated traffic: Additional traffic occurring
due to the improvement of the road

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 Lane distribution
The design traffic loading shall be corrected for the distribution
of heavy vehicles between the lanes in accordance with the
table below. (Pavement and Materials Design Manual, MoW,
1999)

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Construction traffic
The calculation of design traffic loading shall
include construction traffic and public traffic that
is expected to use the completed pavement
before the start of the design period

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 Design Period
 The design period: the number of years until a
terminal value of accepted serviceability is
expected to be reached
 It starts when the completed pavement is opened
to public traffic over the entire length of a
construction project or a pre-determined part of a
project
 Any public traffic or construction traffic using the
completed pavement before the start of the
design period shall be estimated separately and
included in the design traffic loading for the
purpose of pavement design
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Design Period

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Design Period
 For Tanzania, the specified length of the design
period is 20 years for new or rehabilitated
bitumen surfaced pavements
 However, the Ministry of Works, at its discretion,
may change the design period depending on
circumstances of individual projects

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 Traffic Load Classes (TLC)
After determining the design traffic loading, E80, and the
heavy axles’ proportion of E80, the values are placed into
their correct class in accordance with the table below

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Traffic Load Classes (TLC)
Where the heavy (>13 t) axles’ proportion of
E80 is 50% or higher the Traffic Load Class
shall be given an index as below

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 Presentation of final data
The following information for each direction of the
road shall be presented in the detailed design report
for paved roads:
 Cumulative E80 over the design period
 The proportion of the design traffic loading that is a
result of axles above 13t (in %)
 Assumed construction traffic before the start of the
design period
 The Traffic Load Class for use in the pavement
design
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Presentation of final data
The following details shall be presented, for each of
the four heavy vehicle categories classified:
 Weighing data for all axles on heavy vehicles as
obtained in the axle load survey
 Summary of traffic counts
 Vehicle Equivalency Factors used, growth rate in
average E80 per vehicle
 Total growth rate in E80 for each heavy vehicle
category

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Summary

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