Taking the Rough with the Smooth

In recent years there has been considerable research interest in the effects of vehicle dynamics on pavement wear, culminating in the US$1.5 million dollar OECD DIVINE research project which was completed in 1997. This is not surprising. The growth in road freight traffic has resulted in increased wear on the road network. Reducing this wear through reducing dynamic loads is an attractive proposition. The static component of vehicle loads is largely determined by the mass of freight to be transported.