Modeling of permit trucks for bridge loading along german highways

Road traffic and bridge loading in general are determined by multiple parameters. Along highways these processes feature some additional peculiarities such as permit trucks that need to be considered for realistic modeling. Permit trucks are heavy vehicles exceeding the legal limits regarding weight and/or dimensions, and hence are subject to approval. Such vehicles can pose a critical loading event for the bridge possibly leading to extreme values of load effects. Their accurate modeling for bridge loading is hence of utmost importance. For the characterization of permit trucks, vehicle data and routing information is retrieved from permit reports for an exemplary highway section. Frequently appearing vehicle types are classified and statistic models describing different vehicle parameters are derived. Following this, a comparison with Weigh-in-Motion data from the same location is carried out, deducing actual weights and volume of permit trucks on the considered highway section. The findings serve as a base for more accurate and realistic modeling of permit trucks for evaluation of bridge loading on highways.