Spatial Investigation of Mineral Transportation Characteristics in the State of Washington

Abstract

This study investigates the spatial relationships between construction aggregate shipments and the per axle payload weights of trucks as they pertain to highway deterioration in the state of Washington. A previous study investigated the transportation characteristics of mined aggregates using a spatial autoregressive model, where a significant positive relationship between payload weights and shipment distances was established. This paper expands the previous study by assessing the contribution of aggregate hauling trucks to pavement deterioration using per-axle loads by truck configuration.

Results showed a positive relationship between weights per axle load and several shipment distance categories. According to the well-established per axle weight and pavement damage relationship, incremental changes in per axle payload weights resulting from longer shipment distances clearly suggest that longer haulage increases the magnitude of pavement deterioration. This direct relationship between road impact and the distance hauled emphasizes the importance of the proximity of mine sites to different end users.