Load Damaging Effects of Overloaded Trucks on Federal Highway Pavement Structures in Nigeria | Chapter 12 | Research Developments in Science and Technology Vol. 5

 The study's purpose is to establish Nigeria's present serviceability rating as well as the consequences of overloaded vehicles on load damage. The researchers employed AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) methodologies. The highway sections of Lokoja-Abuja, Ilorin-Jebba, and Abakiliki-Ogoja through Mbok highways were chosen for this research, and data was acquired using an axle-load survey, an automated traffic count, and secondary sources. Exosphere Nig. Ltd.'s weigh-in-motion facilities were used to collect traffic data during a four-month period commencing in January 2019. A weigh-in-motion device deployed at survey locations provided the gross vehicle weight (G.V.W.) of all vehicle classifications. To evaluate vehicle overloading, a detailed study of vehicle data was conducted. Haracteristics at the research site Over the network evaluated, the proportion of gross vehicle weight violation ranged from 20% to 94 percent of the axle load distribution. When the overloaded vehicle damage factor (V.D.F.) was compared to the normal V.D.F. across the road networks studied, the difference was between 1.2 and 41.34 times, explaining why Nigerian road pavements deteriorate so fast over their service life. The current serviceability ratings for the Lokoja-Abuja, Ilorin-Jebba, and Abakiliki-Ogoja highways were 3.45, 4.41, and 3.35, respectively, showing deterioration from their baseline levels. For Lokoja-Abuja Road, Ilorin-Jebba Road, and Abakili-ki-Ogoja Road, respectively, the damage index g defined the fractional change of serviceability index is 0.30, 0.35, and 0.43. This ratio describes the loss in serviceability at time t in terms of the projected loss at P.T. = 3.0. The Highway Economic Requirements System (HERS) and AASHTO techniques are combined in a more systematic pavement damage estimation approach. The technique will provide a practical method for evaluating the costs of pavement degradation caused by truck traffic on specific stretches of the road.

Author(S) Details

Olufemi Jacob Oyekanmi
Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Abuja, Nigeria.

Ejem Agwu Ejem
Department of Transport Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria.

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