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The axle load of a wheeled vehicle is the total weight bearing on the roadway for all wheels connected to a given axle.Axle load is an important design consideration in the engineering of roadways and railways, as both are designed to tolerate a maximum weight-per-axle (axle load); exceeding the maximum rated axle load will cause damage to the roadway or railway tracks.
The Military Load Classification (MLC) is a system of standards used by NATO to classify the safe amount of load a surface can withstand. Load-carrying capacity is shown in whole numbers for vehicles, bridges, roads, and routes. Vehicles are classified by weight, type, and effect on routes.
In the EU a tractor can generally have 10 tonnes (22,000 lb) on a single axle, with suspension type and number of tires often allowing slightly higher loads. In the U.S. weight restrictions are generally 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg) on a single axle, and 34,000 pounds (15,000 kg) (less than two single axles) on a tandem.
A tandem axle is defined as two or more consecutive axles whose centers are spaced more than 40 inches (102 cm) but not more than 96 inches (244 cm) apart. [10] Axles spaced less than 40 inches (102 cm) apart are considered a single axle. [11] In effect, the formula reduces the legal weight limit for shorter trucks with fewer axles (see table below
For this reason weight distribution varies with the vehicle's intended usage. For example, a drag car maximizes traction at the rear axle while countering the reactionary pitch-up torque. It generates this counter-torque by placing a small amount of counterweight at a great distance forward of the rear axle.
The AASHO road test introduced many concepts in pavement engineering, including the load equivalency factor. Unsurprisingly, the heavier vehicles reduced the serviceability in a much shorter time than light vehicles, and the oft-quoted figure, called the generalized fourth power law , [ 3 ] that damage caused by vehicles is "related to the 4th ...
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Route availability for a vehicle (locomotive or wagon) is generally based upon its axle loading. That is, how much of the laden weight of the vehicle is distributed on each axle. The more weight on each axle, the higher the RA number, and the more restricted the vehicle is. For wagons it is normal to have different RAs when running empty and full.