Fields of Activity
Transport Studies Centre
FULL SCALE TEST TRACK
General Description
The Test Track is a facility intended to perform accelerated monitored test on full scale pavement sections.
The test are carried out trough continous circulation of vehicles on road pavements in order to analyze their perfomance under the applied loads, as well as the appearance and development of deteriorations. Several pavements can be simultaneously tested on the track. Its main application fields are calibration of design analytical methods, pavement evaluation and research on road materials.
The entire test track has been designed and built using Spanish technology, the track being unique in layout and technical concepts.
The track comprises 6 test sections, 25 m each one, on two straight lines, joined by two curve lenghts. The pavements to be tested are built with standard road materials and equipment . Traffic simulations are carried out by vehicles guided by a concrete beam, their characteristics corresponding to the ones of a truck with maximun permitted load.
The pavement perfomance under the loads and its evolution with time, is monitored through survey equipment and sensors installed in the pavement. The facility is able to manage up to 400 sensors.
The Control Center, placed in the inside of the track layout, completes the facility. It includes the track control equipment and the data acquisition equipment, operating on an integrated, fully automated basis.
The initial load application capacity (one million loads per year with only one vehicle) is now doubled by simultaneous circulation of two vehicles.
Technical Characteristics
- Straight test length of 150 m, the maximun length of straight test sections of other existing tracks being 12 m.
- 8 m wide 2.6 m deep test sextions, built in a U shaped concrete box, thus allowing isolation from the surrounding soil.
- Test sections are covered. A device allows controlled simulation of rain.
- Two vehicles simulating heavy traffic loads. Characterictics: gravity loads, simple drive semiaxle, 60 km/h operation speed, 1.3 m wheel paths width, variable load between 5.5 and 7.5 t (11-15 t/axle).
- Control of vehicles by a specific program with orders transmitted by cable. Fully automated operation, thus continous attendance of staff is not needed.
- Fully automated data acquisition system, being unique in the existing test tracks.
Applications
- Comparison of bearing capacity and service life of different pavement sections and subgrades.
- Comparison of wearing courses, surface dressings and traffic signs.
- Measurement of stresses and strains produced in different pavement layers.
- Checking, calibration or development of theoretical models for pavement perfomance.
- Calibration of equipment for pavement evaluation.
