Accelerated pavement testing efforts using the heavy vehicle simulator

Abstract

This paper provides a brief description of the technological developments involved in the development and use of the Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) accelerated pavement testing equipment. This covers the period from concept in the late 1960’s, to the current state-of-the art HVS Mk-VI and highlights the development and improvements being built into the Mk VI. It also provides a brief overview of the research performed by the various accelerated testing programs currently using the HVS as their accelerated testing tool, which include the Gauteng Provincial Department of Transportation and the CSIR (South Africa), the UC Pavement Research Center (California), the U.S Army Corps of Engineers Engineering Research and Development Center (CRREL and WES), the Florida DOT HVS test program, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) , the HVS programs of the University of Costa Rica and the Mexico Institute of Transportation amongst others. Brief descriptions of HVS research and summaries of key results from these programs are provided. Planned research is covered where available.