The effect of overloaded heavy vehicles on the values of axle load distribution, tire pressure and equivalent axle load (case study: Jenu-Tuban Aterial Road, East Java, Indonesia)

Premature deterioration on highway pavement is still considered as one of the main issues in Indonesian related to the road problems. Premature deterioration of pavements not only occurs on relatively new roads but also prevails on roads that have just been repaired. The premature damage on roads is allegedly caused by the overloaded heavy trucks. This paper will discuss the condition of overloading of heavy trucks on an important highway in East Java, Indonesia, by means of weighing the trucks carrying construction materials in the weighbridge and measure their tire pressures. The data obtained are the total weights of trucks, the weights of each axle, and tire pressures. By calculating the EAL value for each axle and simple statistical analysis, the value of the vehicle axle load distribution and a tire pressure will be obtained. It was found that the effect of overloaded heavy vehicle are: A) higher axle-load distribution for the rear wheels than those of standard of Bina Marga (Indonesian Directorate General of Highways, 1987); b) higher average EAL value per type of truck than those of average EAL based on Bina Marga (1987), which is from 2.2 to 8.3 times higher; and 3) higher tire pressures for heavy trucks, ranging from the lowest of 130 psi to as high as 185 psi, very much higher than the recommenced tire pressures of 80 to 100 psi.