Current Research
Characterization and Quantification of Traffic Load Spectra in Texas Overweight Corridors and Energy Sector Zones
Previous research documented widespread transportation infrastructure damages in the counties impacted by energy development activities in South Texas. In addition to the severely damaged transportation infrastructure such as pavements and bridges, there are multi-level operational, logistical, safety and economic impacts taking place in the impacted network. TxDOT is looking for a scientifically sound and robust methodology to characterize the traffic, and to quantify the damages imparted by heavy traffic operations in the overload corridors in South Texas.
The research team believe that proper characterization of the traffic operations in the affected corridors is of paramount importance for the quantification of the damage. Therefore, the research will undertake a twofold approach in this study to meet the objectives of the project. Initially, the research team will deploy traffic monitoring and assessment devices, such as portable Weight in Motion (WIM), pneumatic tubes, and other traffic monitoring devices to select sites for the determination of the hourly, daily, and seasonal truck traffic activities in the impacted zones. This information will be synthesized to compile the axle load spectra database to satisfy the primary objective of the project. Additionally, the research team will conduct nondestructive field testing of representative sites to establish back-calculated material properties and distress type/severity database. The database in combination with Finite Element analysis of the surveyed sections will be used to generate new axle load equivalency factors specifically tailored to the environment and the nature of traffic operations in the overweight corridors.