‘The Federal Highway Adminstration (FHW
its guidance pamphlet Bridge Formula Weights
(august ote.on the last page
of the pamphlets sup
This guldance
provisions of 23 US.C. §
purposes of illustration only. tn th
Jspute, the statute and regulation take precedence
with respect to maximum allowable Federal Bid
Forrnula weights, Previous editions of this guidance
‘and no longer valid
TTT
MULE}
Weights
Crave MEN}atl}
‘Wit fw exon noted in tis parle,
Fo aul BA ig eu estabshes he mma
PO TATL ESI wit ay sot of axes ona motor vice
tay city onthe trate nighry system.
This pamptiet esas the Grdge Form,
why twas etalhed, and Row tis see
Congress enzetod the Bridge Formula in 1975 to init the
weight o-lengt ato ofa vice erasing a bridge. This Is
accomplshad ther by seating weight ovr adtnal aces
or by increasing the distance between axes,
Compliance wit ridge Formula weight ims is determined by
sag the folowing formu
were [ 2s]
= tho oeal grass weight on any group of to
more consoctive axes tothe nearest 500 pounds.
|= the distance in fet between te outer ales of
any raup of two or mare consecutive aes.
N= the numberof aes inthe group under consideration,
In adton to Bxigge Formula weight its, Federal av states
that single ales are ited o 20,000 pounds, and axes closer
than 96 inches apart tandem axes) are tmted to 34,000
pounds, Goss vehicle weight is lite to 80,000 pounds (23
use. 127,
[Xe
‘ridges onthe intestate Stem highways ae designed to sup
or a wide vary of vehicles ané their expected loads. AS
trucks grew heavier nthe 1950s ané 1960s, someting had to
‘The tuck shown in Figure & satisfies the sinle-ne weight
‘it 12,000 pounds are fess than 20,000 pounds, he tar
erat 20,000 pounds re fess than $4,000 pounds)
andthe gros-wight iit 7,000 pounds are less than
{80,000 pound}. With tse restrictions satisfiod, a check is
one for ridge Formula requirements, anes 1 though 4.
‘Actual Weight= 12,00 + 15,000 + 15,000 + 15,000,
57,000 pounds
‘Maximum weight (W) = 57,500 pounes Bridge Table for"
(0123 toot and "Nf 4 aes.
‘Since axles 1 trough 4 ae satisfactory, check axles 2
5,000 + 15,000 + 15,000 = 4,000
‘Maximum weight () = 42.500 pounds (Bridge Table for“
of 9 foot and" of 3 antes,
‘his a vilaton because the actual weight exceeds the
\woght alowed by the Bridge Fora. The load must eer
be reduced nes aed, or spacing Increased to comply wit
the Bridge Formula,
Ouay surance Statement
“he Fora HahmayAdmnisaton FINA) roves na
‘ly inomatn sve Govern, ty, and
public a manne tat praretes pute ues,
‘Str pols use ensure a acme he
‘aly, eco, ty, ars egy os ermetan
FIA porodcaly reviews cual sues ard agus ro-
(as and process ers cont uty novException to Formula and Bridge Table
In ation othe ranatather rights note on page 8, Federal
law (23 U.S.. 127) includes one other exception tothe
Byidgo Formula andthe Bride Tble—two consecutive sets
cof tandem aes may carry 34,000 pounds each ifthe overall
stance between the fet and las anes ofthese tandems is
96 eet or more. For example a fve-aetractorsemialr
combination may carry 84,000 pounds both onthe actor
tandem jes 2 and 3) and the taller tandem (aes 4 and
5, provided axes 2 and 5 aro spaced at ast 36 fet apart.
Without tis exception, te Bdge Formula would alow an
actual weight of nly 6,000 to 67 500 pounds on tandems,
spacod 96 to 38 fet apart.
CORI
Tho procedure deserbed above could be used to check any
tle combinations, but several closely spaced ans usualy
produce the most etic situation
Gross Weight - 57,000 bs.
ae.
5S Sold
SSRN AZESSNR
ti il
a
Short 80,000 Truck
Figure 4
be done to prooct bridges. The solution wes tink allowable
‘wight othe number ana spacing of axes.
Due spacing a8 imporant as ade weightin designing
widgs.In FQU 1A the srs on bridge members as a
Jonge ruck ras across is much os than that caused by a
‘hor voice as shown in Figure 1, van though both trucks
have the same toll weight and individual ale weights. The
‘weight ofthe longer vetile spread out, while th weight of
‘he shertr vehicle Is concentrated on sailor aoa
(I
‘The weight on varus ante configurations must be checked to