Crossings

Highway Wheel Load Analysis

Where a pipeline runs beneath a road or is exposed to heavy vehicle traffic, the concentrated wheel load pressing down through the cover soil produces a cyclic stress on the pipe. This calculator evaluates that wheel-load stress, applying the dynamic impact factor and the way the surface load spreads through the depth of cover.

It draws on the API RP 1102 highway procedure together with AASHTO LRFD vehicle loading.

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What it evaluates

  • Live-load stress from highway wheel loading
  • Dynamic impact factor as a function of cover depth
  • Load distribution through the cover soil
  • Combined stress vs. allowable at shallow cover