Evaluation of pitch up of two-axle solid waste collection compactor trucks in the static condition

Abstract

The study of pitch up limit for solid waste collection compactor trucks in tilted public roads is of great relevance both for the planning of waste collection, mainly in cities with very uneven street gradient, or for use as a design parameter in projects involving public roads. Considering the typical construction and use of rear loader waste compactor equipment, the centre of gravity moves towards the rear of the vehicle as it is loaded, resulting in overload in the rear axle at the end of the waste collection period. In the city of Belo Horizonte (Brazil), several cases of pitch up have been reported for this type of vehicle, in streets with different inclinations and with loading situations in which the load box was not completely full. The present study investigated the variation of the imminence pitch up angles of the two-axle, rear-loading, solid waste collection compactor truck in a static condition, determined by the variation of its centre of gravity coordinates, which were obtained experimentally by means of a testing programme for different loading situations. The critical inclination angle was 0.347 rad (19.89°), which corresponds to a ramp inclination of 36.17%, for the condition of total weight of 157.06 kN (16 027 kgf) with payload of 63.42 kN (6472 kgf).