Vital to every pavement design and management system is the need for accurate traffic loading information. However, the variety of vehicle configurations, axle combinations, and axle loads makes the collection and analysis of loading data difficult. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that these traffic loading conditions continually change over time. Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems coupled with automated vehicle classification systems are currently the best practical method for collecting large volumes of relevant data on a roadway.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Pavement Technology is currently working to:
1. Enhance and implement WIM system technology as a means to accurately measure and classify traffic loading data.
2. Improve the quality of traffic data collection efforts by State DOTs through standard development and enhancement, improved analysis software, and other technical tools.
3. Facilitate the implementation of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (M-E PDG), emphasizing the need of high quality traffic data to provide traffic inputs to the M-E PDG software.
In this website, you can:
- Download sample spreadsheets and supporting documentation presented in the FHWA’s WIM Data Analysts Manual.
- Find out more information about WIM / Traffic and M-E PDG Workshops conducted by FHWA.
- Find basic information on WIM quality data for pavement design.
