Dynamic Modeling of Long Combination Vehicles

Abstract

The importance of using longer vehicles for the freight shipment in the United States has been the subject of a lot of discussions recently. Not enough research has been conducted on the effects of these heavy vehicles. In this research, three different types of Longer Combination Vehicles (LCVs) have been modeled. The equations of motion of these three vehicles as well as eight other common vehicles have been derived and these vehicles have been subjected to different road surface conditions. The dynamic response of the vehicles due to the unevenness of the road surface has been calculated and compared to the results of the other types of trucks such as the single unit trucks and truck and trailers. In addition, the effects of a single bump on the road, when different vehicles are traveling, have been studied. The results can help understand the effects of these trucks on the road overlays. The models and the results from the models can also prepare the first step to study the effects of larger vehicles on roadway bridges. The results of this study shows that the tire impact factors due to the passage of LCVs on the roadways are almost in the same range as the other types of vehicles so dealing with the LCVs does not require careful considerations when it comes to the pavements.