Session 12b: Pavements 2
Results from 5 years of Swedish measurements with
bridge WIM system during 2004 - 2008
Lars Persson, Swedish Road Administration, lars-j.persson@vv.se
Tomas Winnerholt, Swedish Road Administration, tomas.winnerholt@vv.se
SRA (The Swedish Road Administration) has since 2002 used Bridge-WIM systems. The
result has so far indicated a widespread overloading. The information is also important for
planning of road maintenance. Weight monitoring has thus provided SRA with vital
information. SRA has decided on an action plan to address the problem with overloading.
Now after five years sites measured with a B-WIM system is spread in the whole of Sweden.
In the National control program 14 national sites were measured once a year during the
period of so far 5 years. The SRA will take a strategic decision 2009 how to continue the
measurements onward.
14 sites were selected to represent a larger road network. Repeated measurements were
preformed about the same time each year. Comparisons between years can give us some
trends. To even out eventual errors from the measuring we decided to communicate filtred
data, vehicles with a GVW above 35 tons and a 5% error margin on the legal issues. The
reason for this was to eliminate all discussion about measurement accuracy. This
measurement gives us a good base to stand on when we have discussions with the transport
companies. The main reason for us as road administration to reduce overloading on our
network is because of the overloaded vehicles effect of the increased deterioration of the road
networks calculated lifetime.
The conclusions so far are that we face a considerable problem with overloading, in terms of
both gross weight and axle weights. We can detect an increase in the amount of heavy traffic
but at the same time we have detected that the amount of overloads are decreasing. Data from
the measurements gives an important input to new design models for road constructions
where the use of actual loads on the construction can be applied. Results from the
measurements can be a good base for discussions with the transport industry about how to
solve the problems with overloading.