Probabilistic simulation study reveals heavy vehicle platooning significantly increases bridge braking loads, indicating potential structural risks for highway infrastructure.
Key Points
Estimate the changes in horizontal braking forces on road bridges resulting from heavy vehicle platooning compared to current traffic conditions.
Updated an existing probabilistic simulation framework to model platooning-specific braking scenarios across bridges of diverse lengths and dynamic characteristics.
Generated traffic time-histories using empirical data from traffic counting stations and Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) sensors on the Swiss motorway network.
Evaluated the influence of key variables, specifically the number of heavy vehicles per platoon, penetration rate, and return periods.
The number of heavy vehicles within a single platoon exerts the strongest influence on the maximum bridge braking force.
Braking forces generated by a four-vehicle heavy platoon are almost double those observed under current traffic conditions.