Load equivalency factors for off-road trucks

Abstract This article addresses an analysis of the Load Equivalency Factor (LEF) for off-road trucks. A new LEF curve for single axles with dual wheels covering trucks from 6.0 to 151.42 tons per axle is proposed, converting various magnitudes of damage from wheel loads to damage caused by the standard axle load of 8.2 tons. Then, this damage ratio was raised to the exponent proposed by Pereira (1992), and LEF for the considered loads was obtained. In the determination of LEF from the structural response of the subgrade, it was confirmed that LEF values did not suffer significant variations with the various parameters adopted, encompassing variations in the axle loads between 6 and 151.42 tons, tire pressures of 80.0, 100.0 and 120.0 psi, as well as five different pavement structures. In the study, LEF remained stable even in pavement structures with low and high axle capacities. In order to validate the results, the resulting factors were then compared with those proposed by DNIT (2006), displaying a coefficient of determination of 0.99. The conclusion is that pavements for off-roads trucks can be designed using the procedure recommended by DNIT (2006) for flexible pavement, without extrapolation of the respective LEF curve.