I presume you are well aware of all the Canadian/UK/Australian work on
suspensions and loading.
The problems with strain are how to measure it and how to take into
account the effects of strain rate. Have you thought of measuring the
first signs of permanent (irreversible) damage?
Colin Blair wrote:
> Hello, I am a transportation analyst working for the Forest
> Engineering Research Institute of Canada (FERIC). We are
> undertaking a study of extending the log haul season through the
> spring thaw period by using more friendly trucks on thin, low
> volume pavements.
>
> Currently, load restrictions are initiated at the start of spring thaw
> and are removed once the road's maximum Benkleman beam
> deflection recovers to 1.25 mm. We believe that by using more
> road friendly trucks (i.e., lower tire pressures, tridems, lower
> payloads and other methods) that we can haul longer at the start of
> spring thaw and resume the haul sooner once the road strength
> recovers.
>
> We would like to be able to relate ESAL and strain and deflection
> to estimate when we can haul on the road without causing an
> increase in deterioration rate. Our thoughts are that we can
> compare road-friendliness of the trucks by comparing their ESAL
> count. We also believe that we can predict the road damage
> through estimates of strain.
>
> Finally, we wish to relate one of the above measures (ESAL,
> deflection, strain) to an easily measured parameter such as
> ambient temperature or frost depth. This relation would allow the
> remote monitoring of the entire transportation network from year to
> year, reducing the transportation costs while controlling the road
> damage caused by hauling during thaw-weakened periods.
>
> If you have information that could help us achieve these goals,
> please contact me directly.
>
> Regards,
>
> Colin Blair, P.Eng.
> Researcher
> Transportation and Maintenance
> Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada
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