Axle load

The axle load (including axle load, axle load and axle load called ) of a vehicle is the proportion of the total mass ( tare load weight ), which is attributable to an axis or a wheel of this vehicle.

The axle load is given in tonnes ( t).

With uniform distribution of the load on a vehicle shall:

The axle or axle load is calculated for wheels that are arranged in pairs with a pivot point at the same spatial level, but have no common, unifying axle or shaft, after half the number of wheels. Double tires are counted as individual wheels.

Apart from the actual axle and the driving speed caused by the dynamic axle load is crucial to the wear. The permissible axle loads are set for the road traffic regulations in § 34, for rail traffic in § 8 EBO.

Axle load traffic

High axle loads have a strong impact disproportionately on the wear of road and associated consequential damages ( potholes ) from. A study by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ( AASHO ) shows that the damage extent with the fourth power of the axle load increases; a doubling of the axle so damages the pavement 16 times as strong as the output load, a quadrupling already caused the 256 times the damage.

Therefore, in the majority of countries in the regular transport maximum permissible axle load is limited.

Railway axle loads

The permissible axle load and the permissible load per meter of track lay their classification determined in a distance class.

Most major railway routes in Germany are for wheel or axle loads of 21 tonnes permitted. As the highest used by a railway company or wheel - axle load 40 t at the Fortescue Railways known in Australia.

From the axle load route class -dependent velocity constraints can follow to limit the wear of the superstructure.

As an extraordinary mission most axle load limit violations can be handled as long as it permits the design of the car. Large differences between the axle of a car, however, to treat particular attention, since they increase the probability of derailment strong.