Practical Applications of Weigh-in-Motion Data

Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems provide an efficient means for collecting detailed information pertaining to everyday traffic usage and vehicle weights on a road network. Significant resources are required to carry out such... [ view full abstract ]

Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems provide an efficient means for collecting detailed information pertaining to everyday traffic usage and vehicle weights on a road network. Significant resources are required to carry out such large scale data collection operations, and it is therefore important that the collected data is used appropriately and efficiently and that the process represents value for money to the road authority. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) recently upgraded their traffic monitoring system, which included the installation of six permanent WIM sites along the national primary network, with accurate data collection beginning in 2014. This paper presents an overview of a number of projects commissioned by TII and undertaken by Roughan & O’Donovan Innovative Solutions (ROD-IS), whereby WIM data was utilised to assist TII in decision making related to the regulation of vehicles permitted to use the Irish road network. One project examined the implications of abnormally loaded vehicles on bridges, and developed tools to assist in the permit issuing process. Others assessed the implications, for pavements and bridges, of changing particular Irish regulations for weight limits of various vehicle types. In addition, a study was carried out to examine the effects of a new truck configuration which was not covered by Irish regulations. All of these studies, which used WIM data from various sources, show practical applications of how WIM data can be, and has been, used to allow road authorities to better understand how their network is being impacted by vehicle loading. The results of these case studies provide substantial scientific evidence in relation to how traffic loading can impact the network, providing a solid basis for the decision making process involved in the management of a transport network.