A34 MAT tests: results and analysis

Abstract

This report describes a series of tests conducted on a UK trunk road in which the dynamic tyre forces generated by over 1500 heavy goods vehicles (HGV's) were measured using a load measuring mat containing 144 capacitive strip sensors. This data was used to investigate the relative road damaging potential of the various classes of vehicles, and the degree of spatial repeatability of tyre forces present in a typical highway fleet. It was found that fatigue damage was strongly influenced by the magnitude of the dynamic tyre forces, whereas rutting damage was primarily dependent on the gross vehicle weight. On average, air suspended vehicles were found to generate smaller dynamic loads and hence less road damage than steel suspended vehicles. However, some air suspensions were found to generate very high dynamic loads and consequently very high levels of road damage, due to a lack of suspension damping. Approximately half the vehicles tested were found to contribute to a spatially repeata...