Affiliation:
1. Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT)
Abstract
A critical aspect of designing road pavements is accurately estimating the expected traffic load. It's important to note that not all vehicles use the same wheel path when traveling on a road. Many factors, including the Lane Distribution Factor (LDF), can affect the lateral shift of the load applied to the pavement. LDF is a crucial factor in designing flexible pavements, as it helps transportation planners and highway engineers estimate lane usage relative to the total traffic volume. This information is essential for understanding how pavements respond to wheel loads and fatigue behavior. The IRC: 37 - 2018 guidelines provide a set of LDFs for estimating the design traffic in terms of Million Standard Axle Loads. However, to ensure the accuracy of these LDFs, a study was conducted on rural and urban highways with two and four lanes to identify the lateral distribution of the vehicles.