Abstract
The study is to assess the present serviceability rating of Nigerian highways and the load damage effects of overloaded trucks. The researchers used the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) methods. In this study, the highway section of Lokoja-Abuja, Ilorin-Jebba and Abakiliki-Ogoja via Mbok roads were selected, and data were collected through an axle-load survey, automatic traffic count and from secondary sources. The rate of gross vehicle weight violation was found, ranging from 20% to 94% of the axle load distribution across the studied network. Comparing the overloaded vehicle damage factor (V.D.F.) and standard V.D.F., the range was from 1.2 to 41.34 times across the road networks studied, and this explained why the pavement structures of Nigerian roads tend to deteriorate during its service life rapidly. Present serviceability rating was estimated at 3.45, 4.41 and 3.35 for Lokoja-Abuja, Ilorin-Jebba and Abakiliki-Ogoja roads respectively, showing depletion from their initial conditions. The damaging effects of the HGV are more severe at Lokoja-Abuja Road (with g = 0.30), followed by Ilorin-Jebba Road (with g = 0.35) and in Abakiliki-Ogoja Road (with g = 0.43). The heaviest overload of 94% of the 6-axle vehicles plying at the Lokoja-Abuja road could explain this intense damaging effect on the road pavement.
Highlights
Comparing the overloaded vehicle damage factor (V.D.F.) and standard V.D.F., the range was from 1.2 to 41.34 times across the road networks studied, and this explained why the pavement structures of Nigerian roads tend to deteriorate during its service life rapidly
The damaging effects of the high grade vehicles (HGVs) are more severe at Lokoja-Abuja Road, followed by Ilorin-Jebba Road and in Abakiliki-Ogoja Road
The analysis showed that the axle load from weigh-in-motion data is hugely greater than ECOWAS standard weight in Lokoja-Abuja road, which may lead to accelerated deterioration, reducing the service life of the pavement structures
Summary
The road network in Nigeria comprises of federal, states and local government roads. The development of modern roads along the major arterials is funded by the Federal Government. It is opined globally that heavy and overweight trucks are a major cause of highway deterioration and that their damaging effects make it clear that trucks are the principle cause of traffic related deterioration of the highways. In an age of deteriorating highway infrastructure and declining budgets for road upgrades and repairs, the sensible thing to do in order to lengthen the lifespan of our roadways would be to shift even more cargo transport from truck to rail and enforcement of weight and Axle load controls on the existing road infrastructure
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