Austroads has published draft guidelines for the weighing of oversized and overmass (OSOM) vehicle combinations using portable scales.
The report, as authored by Philip Roper and Anthony Germanchev of ARRB, addresses a key shortcoming in existing roadside weighing methods.
'Until now, Austroads guidelines for weighing vehicles at the roadside, using either portable scales or permanent weighbridges, have catered only for the weighing of conventional heavy vehicles' said Mr Roper.
'OSOM vehicles usually employ axle configurations and suspension systems that are not seen on conventional vehicles. This, coupled with their larger size and more complicated axle layouts, has created difficulties for authorised officers when conducting roadside inspections and attempting to weigh vehicles' Mr Roper went onto say.
ARRB’s fieldwork during this project involved weighing several vehicles with a number of different weighing methods. These experiments fueled the development of robust methods for accurate weighing of OSOM vehicles. The resultant guidelines give authorised officers clear instructions to aid them in their work. Through the use of the methods described, it will be possible to monitor OSOM vehicle mass more effectively and reduce the likelihood that such vehicles will operate in an overloaded condition.
Mr Roper added that 'improved adherence to OSOM mass limits will improve the safety of heavy vehicle operations and reduce the risk of damage to road and bridge infrastructure' .
Further information about the report can be found here
