Abstract
This article presents a study on the damaging effects of moving tank loads on flexible pavements. The research develops an equivalent load based on a mechanistic-empirical approach. It was found that the damaging effect of tank loads ranges from 0.898 to 2.356 times the damaging effect of the standard 18 kips (80 kN) axle load. Additionally, tank braking forces were found to have a damaging effect 2.375 times greater than the tank weight alone in terms of tensile strain (fatigue cracking), and tank turning maneuvers were found to have a damaging effect 1.216 times greater than the tank weight alone. These loads also have severe damaging effects on the functional serviceability of the asphalt layer surface.
Keywords
Tank Loads Flexible Pavement Mechanistic-Empirical Approach Equivalent Load Braking Forces Turning Maneuver Tensile Strain Fatigue Cracking AASHTO Equivalency Factors Functional Serviceability