Evaluation of truck factors for cargo commercial vehicles that circulate on the colombian's primary road network

Abstract

Traffic estimation is one of the most important aspects in the analysis and structural design of pavements and its adequate determination requires updated values of truck factors. This study aimed to evaluate the truck factors for cargo commercial vehicles operating in the Colombianís primary road network. For this purpose, in 2011, thirty-eight mobile weigh stations were positioned on different strategic points of the national road network to characterize the traffic loads. Based on statistical procedures, updated truck factors were obtained for each type of truck circulating on the roads analyzed. These truck factors can be used for design of road sectors with socioeconomic characteristics similar to those of the roads evaluated. It was found that the type of vehicles that circulate more along the national roads are: C3-S3, C2, C3- S2, C3, and C2-S2, with a distribution of 36%, 35%, 13%, 11%, and 5 %, respectively. Finally, it was observed that the C3 and C3-S3 trucks are the ones causing more damage to the road infrastructure in Colombia taking into account that these vehicles are circulating overloaded in some portions of the road network.