ORN40 A guide to axle load surveys and traffic counts for determining traffic loading on pavements

In Many countries road traffic is growing rapidly in volume and in size and weight of the vehicles using the roads. As a consequence, highway engineers concerned with designing new roads or the strengthening of existing roads require reliable information about the distribution of axle loads for existing traffic as well as information on national or regional axle load trends. This information is required so that accurate forecasts can be made of the axle loads that a road will have to carry over it's design life. This note describes the methodology and procedures required to carry out both a traffic count and an axle load survey and includes methods of data analysis for pavement design purposes. The procedures are based on tried and tested methods used by experienced staff who have undertaken numerous axle load surveys world-wide.