Heavy Vehicle Simulator tests at VTI

Flexible test road structures have been built and tested in Accelerated Pavement Tests (APT) using a Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) at VTI in Sweden for 15 years. The objectives have been to investigate pavement responses and pavement performance behaviour which can be used to validate mechanistic performance schemes. The pavement structures have been instrumented to measure their responses and performance and the surface profile was estimated. Here the accuracy of the measurements was estimated and a performance prediction was carried out. The registrations of the measurements were rather smooth with good repeatability and acceptable accuracy. The response, performance and accumulation of permanent deformation were modelled and generally good agreement was established between the measurements and calculations. From the analysis a performance prediction can be carried out as a function of time to evaluate the performance of new road concepts and maintenance strategies. The performance prediction provides the option of performing a life cycle cost analysis which can decrease both costs and environmental impacts.