Title: Feasibility of multiple-sensor weighing for increased accuracy of WIM

Authors: T.D. Gillespie, S.M. Karamihas

Addresses: The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTEU), 2901 Baxter Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2150, USA. ' The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTEU), 2901 Baxter Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2150, USA

Abstract: Efforts to measure truck axle weights at normal highway speeds by a single scale installed in the road are ineffective because of the dynamic load variations on the axle. The extended measurement distance required to average out load variations is in conflict with the layout of axles on typical trucks. As a consequence, multiple weight sensors are required. The performance of multiple-sensor weigh-in-motion systems are evaluated measuring the load of 95 axles on 21 simulated trucks. A three-sensor system appears capable of measuring loads on axles with leaf-spring and some air-spring suspensions to an accuracy of 5 to 8 percent on most roads. Measurement of axles with poorly damped wheel-hop resonance modes is much less accurate, with errors on the order of 15 percent.

Keywords: dynamic wheel loading; heavy vehicle simulation; weigh-in-motion; WIM; truck axle weights; dynamic load variations; multiple sensors; multi-sensor systems; heavy vehicles; truck simulation; truck suspensions; heavy vehicle suspensions; weighing sensors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHVS.1996.054557

International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems, 1996 Vol.3 No.1/2/3/4, pp.149 - 164

Published online: 18 Jun 2013 *

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