Abstract
Abstract This article addresses an analysis of the Load Equivalency Factor (LEF) for off-road trucks. A new LEF curve for single axles with dual wheels covering trucks from 6.0 to 151.42 tons per axle is proposed, converting various magnitudes of damage from wheel loads to damage caused by the standard axle load of 8.2 tons. Then, this damage ratio was raised to the exponent proposed by Pereira (1992), and LEF for the considered loads was obtained. In the determination of LEF from the structural response of the subgrade, it was confirmed that LEF values did not suffer significant variations with the various parameters adopted, encompassing variations in the axle loads between 6 and 151.42 tons, tire pressures of 80.0, 100.0 and 120.0 psi, as well as five different pavement structures. In the study, LEF remained stable even in pavement structures with low and high axle capacities. In order to validate the results, the resulting factors were then compared with those proposed by DNIT (2006), displaying a coefficient of determination of 0.99. The conclusion is that pavements for off-roads trucks can be designed using the procedure recommended by DNIT (2006) for flexible pavement, without extrapolation of the respective LEF curve.
Highlights
In iron ore mines that operate on a large-scale, ore transport is usually made by trucks with high axle load capacity
The design method of flexible pavements, according to DNIT (2006), takes into account the number of times vehicles pass on these pavements and, for that, it converts the loads of several axles to a standard axle
Data from the abacus Axle Load versus Load Equivalency Factor (LEF) according to DNIT (2006) were entered as comparison criteria, indicating that the results obtained in this research are similar to the source material consulted
Summary
In iron ore mines that operate on a large-scale, ore transport is usually made by trucks with high axle load capacity. In the design of these roads, the geometric design, the slope of the ramps and the width and curvature radius of the tracks are taken into consideration by mine planning professionals, not contemplating structural projects This situation leads to a questionable performance of open pit roads, and there is today a certain imbalance when it is compared to the high level achieved in terms of operating technologies, as well as on the evolution of transport vehicles (Sousa, 2011). The design method of flexible pavements, according to DNIT (2006), takes into account the number of times vehicles pass on these pavements and, for that, it converts the loads of several axles to a standard axle This is achieved by relating the effects of any axle load to that considered as standard (8.2 tons). The abacus Axle Load versus Load Equivalency Factor (LEF) was created, which encompasses loads up to 20 tons for single axles and to 30 tons for double and triple tandem axles, being improper for higher loads
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