This technical note provides information on the suitability of certain vehicle configurations for forestry roads.The brief technical note, titled “Understanding the relationship between heavy vehicle weights and dimensions, and resource road safety”, was released in February 2011 and compiled by Doug Bennett, Brian Chow and Seamus Parker. The note was produced by FPInnovations and the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
The authors indicate that the information is intended to be used when evaluating new truck and trailer combinations for a specific road system, planning for the use of specialised transport vehicles, or considering road network changes or upgrades. The contents cover the following areas:
- Vehicle weight – manufacturers specifications, road infrastructure capacity and roadbed structural capacity
- Vehicle length – road horizontal alignment, road vertical alignment and oncoming traffic
- Vehicle height – vehicle stability and overhead risks
- Vehicle ground clearance – road vertical alignment
- Vehicle gradeability and braking capacity – road grade, road surface condition, vehicle brakes
The technical note can be accessed through the FPInnovations (Forest Operations) December 2011 online newsletter, titled “Solutions”. It can be accessed at http://www.fpinnovations.ca/publications/5579_FO_en_decembre_2011_Web.html