Swedish Road Administration (SRA)

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Swedish Road Administration (SRA)

• Sören Hedberg
• Society and Traffic Division
• S 78187 Borlange
• soren.hedberg_at_vv.se

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European Community, Road Transport-Technology,
Weight and Dimensions for Road Traffic

• 85/3/EC was the first Directive to harmonise
  Vehicle Weight and Dimension for international
  traffic
• Is regarded as minimum provisions for weight,
  national
• Limits Truck semitrailer length to 16.5 meter
• Limits Truck full Trailer length to 18.35 meter
• Total authorised mass 40/44 tonnes for int.
  traffic
• Not for Type Approval of Vehicles (97/27/EC)

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Aim of the Directive

• To reflect a balance between the rational and
  economical use of vehicles and the cost for
  infrastructure maintenance, road safety and the
  protection of the environment
• Common standards on vehicle dimensions should
  remain stable in the long term

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96/53/EC

• There were different standards applied in Member
  States
• This affects the conditions of competition and is
  an obstacle to traffic between Member States
• To limit wear and tear on the roads and bridges,
  i e preserve the road capital (road friendly
  suspension introduced)
• This Directive is primarily a transport safety
  measure but,
• it also allows for the well functioning of the
  Single Market with harmonised rules

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Scope

• Certain road vehicles circulating within the
  Community, Categories M2, M3, N2, N3, O3 and O4
  (definitions in 70/156/EEC)
• Controls maximum authorized dimensions in
• - national and
• - international traffic
• Limits maximum authorized masses in
• - international traffic

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Recast Directive 96/53/EC, main provisions

• Contain 85/3/EC and its amendments
• Increase truck full trailer max length to 18.75
  meter
• Introduce max. loading length of 15.65 meter
  (enable truck cabins 0.4 meters longer for safety
  reasons)
• Still, articulated vehicles are max. 16.5 meter,
  which prevents the carriage of 45 feet maritime
  containers
• Vehicle width increased to 2.55 m (2.60 m)
• Extended to national transport
• No positive tolerances may be applied on
  dimensions

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In short

• The free circulation of a 40 tonne, standard
  five-axle vehicle and semitrailer combination is
  guaranteed throughout the EU, provided the load
  on the driving axle does not exceed 11,5 tonnes.
• Equally, a standard two-axle bus or lorry of up
  to 18 tonnes can circulate freely.
• 44 tonnes in total is allowed when carrying 40 ft
  ISO container in combined transport (road/rail)
• Member States are free to apply higher axle loads
  and vehicle height above 4 meter in national
  traffic

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Council Directive 2002/7/EC

• Deals with increased length of buses
• Bus with two axles max. 13.5 meters
• Bus with three or more axles max. 15.0 meters
• Bus Trailers max. 18.75 meters

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Exemptions allowed

• Exceptional transports/loads
• Modular concept
• Special operations linked to logging and forestry
  industry
• Prototype Vehicles
• Grandfathers rights

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Implementation of 96/53/EC

• Example of one Member State SWEDEN
• Public roads 138 000 km
• Private roads 75 000 km receiving state subsidies
• 14 500 bridges on the state road network
• 15 000 local community and private bridges
• 36 ferry routes on the state road network

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SWEDEN
500 km
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(No Transcript)
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How did we implement the new Directives

• First step 85/3/EC
• - projected mix of vehicles
• - traffic flow
• - road design
• Second step 96/53/EC additional
• - twin tyres
• - air suspension
• - inflation pressure maximum 8 bars

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Problems involved

• Axle loads and tyre inflation pressure affects
  the speed of road degradation
• Vehicle total mass affects the lifespan of bridges

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Results/Investments

• Reinforcement of roads and bridges
• 10/16 tonnes to 10/18 tonnes was carried through
  from 1988 up to 1995
• necessary investment 300 M (about 3000
  / km)
• 2. 10/18 tonnes to 11.5/19 tonnes from 1996
  onwards
• necessary investment 300 M
• Step 2 also increased new road investment
  costs by 2 and also maintenence costs yearly
  by 25 M for 138 000 km of main roads

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Effectiveness?

• The benefit of increased bogie weights from 16-19
  tonnes together with the increase of total
  roadtrain mass from 51.4 to 60 tonnes is 10 times
  larger than the costs for the improvements of
  road network in timespan 1995-2005
• In practice, in the longer term the cost is
  higher due to tyre inflation pressure over 8 bars
  and in many cases overloaded vehicles

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Development of max. Roadtrain mass in Sweden

• Before 1945 12 tonnes
• 1946 24.0
• 1952 33.5
• 1977 51.4
• 1990 56.0
• 1993 onwards 60.0
• 2008 80.0 ?

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Special Provision in 96/53/EC

• There is an important exemption
• the "modular concept", is used for national
  goods transport in Sweden and Finland. It allows
  lorry combinations of up to 25,25m in length
  (e.g. a 7,82m long load carrier and a 13,6 m long
  semi-trailer) and is a concept built on existing
  vehicle types available in the Community.
• is allowed on the basis that this exemption does
  not have a significant effect on international
  competition in these Member States

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Modular concept, 25.25 m

• Some facts
• When 96/53/EC was adopted, all present transport
  ministers, except S and FIN, did commit
  themselves not to make use of the modular system
  until the Commission evaluated the system with
  long vehicle combinations. No report is yet
  issued.
• Transport ministers from new MS and candidate
  countries were not present and thus may feel free
  to use the system for their domestic transport
  operation

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How does it work in practise ?

• In operation since 1998

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European Standard Vehicles vs. Module System
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The Modular Concept is in favour of
Intermodality when using semitrailer and swap
body units or containers
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General development
Source DG-TREN Statistical pocketbook 2004
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Effects of 38 transport increase (EU White
Paper) When looking at the work of 100 trucks
today
3500 pallets
Average 35 pallets/truck
100 trucks
Today
8 800 m road space
4830 pallets (38)
138 trucks
38 of goods, Todays trucks
12 200 m road space 4830 pallets x 2,5
Average 52 pallets/truck
4830 pallets (38)
93 trucks
38 of goods, Modular Concept
8940 m road space 4830 pallets x 1.85
70 m safety distance between trucks
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Larger vehicles lower fuel consumption per
tonkm
litres/1000tonkm
-15
Nominal GVW/GCW, tonnes
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The future for longer Vehicle combinations ?

• Report on public consultations on the
  Transport White Paper december 2005, comments
  from stakeholders,
• - Various regions express concern on their
  peripheral situation
• - Suggestions to improve efficiency of
  European logistic chains (ex. update weight/dim.
  of trucks)
• - In the report about Freight Transports
  Logistics in Europe, com. suggests
• It might now be opportune to seriously explore
  this modular concept for Europe

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Summary

• 96/53/EC is important for Int. Transport
• The harmonised axle loads increases maintenence
  costs
• Policing of axle overloads important
• Open for future development
• The reason is the increase in goods flow
• New direction in transport policy, multimodality

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Thank You !

• More info www.vv.se
• soren.hedberg_at_vv.se