ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF WEIGH-IN-MOTION DATA

One of the most critical parameters in the structural analysis and design of new and rehabilitated pavements is the characterization of truck traffic. The technology of Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) has been implemented in many countries in order to measure the weight of individual axles and gross vehicle weight, while at the same time classifying vehicles at high speeds. In Puerto Rico, eleven WIM stations have been programmed for installation, ten of which were installed during 1997. These stations are located in the primary highway network to gather data that can be useful to evaluate the effect of representative types of trucks in the performance of in-service pavements. The main activities of this investigation consisted of characterizing the flow of trucks in the WIM stations and identifying typical trucks and possible patterns. Also, a methodology was developed for the construction of weight probability distribution and truck factors for Puerto Rico. Other tasks for the investigation included the creation of a preprocessor which - among other things - could rearrange the raw data to be used in a spreadsheet; and the revision of the land use adjacent to the WIM stations in order to see if those variables affect the behavior of the truck traffic in the area. The investigation focused on the evaluation of Weigh-in-Motion equipment installed in Puerto Rico, and the possible analyses that could be carried out with the data.