The Weight Restriction (Federal Roads) Order 1989, which came into force on the 1st. January 1990, specifies the limits of vehicle weight on Federal Roads. In this order, Federal Roads are categorised under seven (7) load classes with a schedule of the roads in each load class provided. This categorisation is necessary not merely due to difference in bridge design criteria but rather to road geometric considerations. The maximum permissible Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) specified for each load class depends on the number of axles, axle configuration and vehicle dimensions. It ranges from 8 tonnes for a 2-axle rigid vehicle to 38 tonnes for a 6-axle articulated vehicle with a wheelbase of at least 13.1 metres. In addition, several exemptions were later granted for vehicle carrying indivisible goods and fixed volume cargo such as containers and tankers. These provisions were gazetted as Weight Restriction (Federal Roads) (Amendment) Order 1991 and Weight Restriction (Federal Roads) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1991.
| Gazetted Load Classes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Wheel | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Single-Axle(2-Wheel) | 3.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Single-Axle(2-Wheel) | 5.0 | 6.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 9.0 |
| Tandem Axle | 7.0 | 8.0 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 14.0-16.0 | 14.0-16.0 | 14.0 |
| Triaxle Axle | - | - | - | 14.0-16.0 | 16.0-18.0 | 16.0-18.0 | 15.0-17.0 |
| Gazetted Load Classes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 2-Axle Rigid Vehicle | 8.0 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 14.0-16.0 | 14.0-16.0/TD> | 13.0-15.0 |
| 3-Axle Rigid Vehicle | 10.0 | 13.0 | 17.0-18.0 | 17.0-19.0 | 18.0-21.0 | 18.0-21.0 | 17.0-20.0 |
| 3-Axle Articulated Vehicle | - | 14.0-16.0 | 17.0-19.0 | 18.0-22.0 | 22.0-26.0 | 22.0-26.0 | 2.0-24.0 |
| 4-Axle Articulated Vehicle | - | 18.0 | 20.0-22.0 | 22.0-26.0 | 22.0-32.0 | 22.0-32.0 | 20.0-29.0 |
| 5- Axle Articulated Vehicle | - | - | - | - | 22.0-36.0 | 22.0-36.0 | 20.0-34.0 |
| 6- Axle Articulated vehicle | - | - | - | - | 30.0-38.0 | 30.0-38.0 | 28.0-36.0 |
Life-cycle conditions and costing of each individual section of the road network can be simulated in PAMS for a planning period of 2 to 20 years, under user specified policy and environment. PAMS can evaluate flexible pavements with asphaltic concrete, surface dressing an slurry seal surfacing with either unbound base, bituminous base or cementitious base. Treatment options available are slurry seal, surface dressing, thin overlay, design overlay, reconstruction (partial), reconstruction (total) and routine maintenance (patching).
The operation of PAMS stated in 1993 with the collection of pavement data, using sophisticated equipment, on the Federal Trunk Road network. Its main purpose was to determine the optimum maintenance policy for the network and also for project level needs.
Specific outputs can be created at both project and network levels in tabulated or graphical formats.
The outputs from PAMS is being used by the Public Works Department Malaysia to present case for getting sufficient attention from policy markers on road maintenance budget and also to establish the optimum maintenance strategy to obtain the maximum net value from investing in the network.
Copyright © 1995, JKR Cawangan Jalan, December, 1995