The study is to assess the
present serviceability rating of Nigerian highways and the load damage effects of overloaded trucks. The researchers used the
AmericanAssociation of State
Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) methods. In this study, the
highway section of Lokoja-Abuja, Ilorin-Jebba and Abakiliki-Ogoja via Mbok roads were selected, and data were collected
through an axle-load survey, automatic traffic count and from secondary
sources. The rate of gross vehicle weight violation was found, ranging from 20% to 94% of the axle load distribution across the studied network. Comparing the
overloaded vehicle damage factor (V.D.F.) and standard V.D.F., the range was
from 1.2 to 41.34 times across the road networks studied, and this explained
why the pavement structures of Nigerian roads tend to deteriorate during its service life rapidly. Present
serviceability rating was estimated at 3.45, 4.41 and 3.35 for Lokoja-Abuja,
Ilorin-Jebba and Abakiliki-Ogoja roads respectively, showing depletion from
their initial conditions. The damaging effects of the HGV are more severe at Lokoja-Abuja Road (with g = 0.30), followed by Ilorin-Jebba Road (with g = 0.35) and
in Abakiliki-Ogoja Road (with g = 0.43). The heaviest overload of 94% of
the 6-axle vehicles plying at the Lokoja-Abuja road could explain this intense
damaging effect on the road pavement.
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