Page 22 - TrafficInfraTech Magazine - July Digital Edition

ON THE COVER

What is WIM? 2. Damage to vehicles - Flouting
regulations can lead to multiple
Weigh-In-Motion systems
consist of an array of sensors risks, including mechanical
that measure various features of stress on trucks, transmission
moving vehicles. These systems failure, impaired braking
are implemented on flat, smooth, and steering capabilities,
and straight roadways, capturing with an increased chance of
data such as gross vehicle weight, tire blowouts.
per-axle weight, axle spacing, 3. This severely raises
and vehicle speed, as vehicles maintenance costs and
pass over the measurement area. downtime.
Unlike traditional methods, such
as a Static Weigh Bridge and 4. Environmental impact – A
point often overlooked is the
manual inspections, WIM does higher fuel consumption due
not require vehicles to stop for
measurement - making it highly to an increased requirement
of engine performance. This
The accuracies of efficient, especially for trucks. can spike emissions that are
Weigh-in-Motion WIM systems find application detrimental to the environment
systems completely on roads and rail tracks, providing and has an indirect impact on
depends on two valuable data about traffic flow the economy, further putting
and vehicle statistics. These
the transportation sector in a
major factors systems operate under diverse bad light.
a) Quality of and challenging conditions, 5. Damage to vehicles and
installation with necessitating expertise for their infrastructure – Weight
implementation, operation, and
proper approach maintenance. WIM plays a vital sensitive infrastructure such
road and pit role in pavement design (both as bridges are particularly
impacted by overloaded
surround region monitoring and research), bridge vehicles, especially if there is
design, toll-by-weight systems,
levels b) Periodic facilitating freight movement, a tire blowout mid crossing.
Overloaded trucks rolling
maintenance and shaping regulations for the back into other vehicles is
and servicing of transport industry. another safety concern, with
the system. We Why do we need WIM? a direct impact on the freight
believe that “A Overloaded vehicles bear a customer if the cargo is not
secured correctly.
good installation heavy cost, even beyond the loss
starts with a good of life and injuries. Implementations in
civil works” and we 1. Excess damage to roads – Our Other Countries
Countries worldwide, including
ensure that levels roads are designed to handle a the US, Japan, China, and several
specific range of weight for the
around Weigh-in- area covered by any particular European nations, have embraced
Motion platforms vehicle. Without the right cutting-edge WIM systems to
are at permissible reinforcement, overloaded streamline traffic management,
vehicles can cause craters
enhance road safety, and gather
levels and are and potholes, which results in precise data.
done under our increased road maintenance. • Indonesia:
supervision. According to a study, just The Indonesian Ministry
10% overloading increases
the maintenance cost by Rs 25 of Transportation imposed a
Ashish Bhutani lakh per km. complete ban on Over Dimension

22 TrafficInfraTech / July 2023 / www.trafficinfratech-com-500653.hostingersite.com