AXLE LOAD SURVEY. The Department of Public Works and Highways-Nueva Ecija 2nd Engineering District (DPWH-2ndNEED) conducts a 24-hour no apprehension axle load survey on heavy vehicles traversing the Maharlika Highway in Cabanatuan City to collect data to be used as a benchmark in assisting the agency in transportation planning and the design of road and bridge projects and its maintenance. Photo shows Planning and Design Section team led by engineer Nilo C. Javier while doing the survey. Photo sourced by STEVE A. GOSUICO from DPWH REGION 3 FB PAGE..
ECIJA DPWH-2NDNEED conducts axle load survey on heavy vehicles
CABANATUAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways-Nueva Ecija 2nd Engineering District (DPWH-2ndNEED) office conducted a no-apprehension, 24-hour annual axle load survey for eight days the previous month to gather initial data on the types and weights of heavy vehicles traversing Maharlika Highway that would be used as a benchmark in assisting the agency in transportation planning, making road pavement and bridge designs, and doing maintenance works.
The round-the-clock survey was conducted by personnel from the DPWH-2ndNEED Planning and Design Section led by engineer Nilo C. Javier from August 21 to 28, 2024 at the former permanent weighbridge station along the main highway in this city.
District engineer Elpidio Y. Trinidad said the collected data from the eight-day activity would be used as a benchmark in predicting future traffic patterns and vehicle weights and in planning the design of road and bridge projects that would meet the current needs, and also accommodate anticipated demands to ensure that these projects remain functional and efficient as traffic evolves.
“The insights obtained can be used to determine the design of road infrastructure that can handle expected traffic loads, and to effectively prevent potential issues and ensure that the infrastructure remains functional and durable over time,” stressed Trinidad.
“These axle load surveys also give information whether the roads are abused or not by the transporters,” added the DPWH-2NDNeed official.
Meanwhile, assistant district engineer Robert Jay N. Panaligan highlighted the importance of accurately determining the equivalent single axle load (ESAL) for cargo trucks, as it provides a standardized measure of the stress that different load configurations impose on road surfaces.
Panaligan noted that proper ESAL calculation ensures that road infrastructure remains durable and safe, minimizing maintenance costs and reducing the risk of hazardous driving conditions caused by road deterioration.
The impact of truck loads on pavement conditions varies with axle type—single or multi-axles—and analyzing these effects through axle load surveys helps enhance pavement management and maintenance strategies to improve road network durability.
