Section 1

Introduction
 GUIDELINE 1
AACRA TRAFFIC AND AXLE LOAD STUDY MANUAL

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 1-1

1.1 GENERAL ......................................................................................................................................... 1-1
1.2 SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................... 1-1
1.3 TYPES OF TRAFFIC DATA................................................................................................................... 1-2
1.4 MEASUREMENT OF TRAFFIC DATA ..................................................................................................... 1-3
1.5 STORAGE AND PRESENTATION OF TRAFFIC DATA ............................................................................... 1-3
1.6 REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................... 1-4

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 GUIDELINE 1
AACRA TRAFFIC AND AXLE LOAD STUDY MANUAL

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 General
Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) identified a need to establish world-class design manuals
specific to the Addis Ababa conditions covering different aspects of urban roads and bridges during 2001.
This Manual, entitled AACRA Traffic and Axle Load Study Manual, covers data capture and compilation
methodologies for Traffic Counts, Axle Load Surveys, Origin Destination Surveys, Speed Surveys, Delay
Surveys, Junction Surveys and Saturation Flows.
The Manual is based on Austroads Guide to Traffic Engineering Practice, Part 3 Traffic Studies, Overseas
Road Note 11 (TRL, 1993) and Overseas Road Note 40 (TRL, 1978) with customisation and modification
based on local, regional and best practice documentation as referenced throughout the document.

1.2 Scope and Objectives

This Manual provides a guide to simple, reliable traffic survey techniques, suitable for urban road traffic in
Addis Ababa. The Manual consists of nine parts:
1. Planning counting and weighing surveys (Section 2)
2. Traffic Counting surveys (Section 3)
3. Axle Load surveys (Section 4)
4. Origin-Destination surveys (Section 5)
5. Speed surveys (Section 6)
6. Network Speed and Delay surveys (Section 7)
7. Junction Delay surveys (Section 8)
8. Saturation Flow (Section 9)
9. Standard Forms (Appendix)
The scope of this Manual and its relationship with the Pavement Design Process is shown in Figure 1-1
below (adapted from Austroads, 1992).

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PROJECT
SELECTION

SUBGRADE PAVEMENT DESIGN

ENVIRONMENT CROSS SECTIONS
EVALUATION MATERIALS TRAFFIC
Section 2 Section 3
Section 4 Section 5 Section 6

Implementation, Feedback,
NEW OR Validation and Refinement
New Rehabilitation
REHABILITATION of Design and
Rehabilitation procedure

FLEXIBLE & SEMI- GRAVEL SMALL ELEMENT EVALUATION & OVERLAYS &
RIGID PAVEMENTS
RIGID PAVEMENTS PAVEMENTS PAVEMENTS MAINTENANCE REHABILITATION
Section 9
Section 7 Section 8 Section 10 Section 11 Section 12

COMPARISON
OF DESIGNS
Section 13

Figure 1-1 Design Process Flowchart (adapted from MoW, 1999, Austroads, 1992)

The objective of this manual is to produce a general guideline for Traffic and Axle Load Studies within the
city of Addis Ababa. The manual describes the procedures for conducting the studies and reporting the study
results.
This Manual has been developed to ensure outputs of Traffic and Axle Load Studies conducted in
accordance with these guidelines are suitable for use in design processes recommended in the other Design
Manuals produced for AACRA.

1.3 Types of Traffic Data

Road Agencies require traffic data for various purposes. The type of information and the accuracy required
differs according to the reason for which it is to be used. The main requirements for the purpose of
pavement design and rehabilitation are:
Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) - the total year volume at a specific location divided by
the number of days in the year;
Traffic composition the proportion of each type of vehicle within the total traffic stream based
on a predetermined vehicle classification system
Equivalent Standard Axles (ESA) the damaging effect of each vehicle or each vehicle
classification with respect to a standard axle weight
Traffic Growth the growth rate in traffic counts at a specific location

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1.4 Measurement of Traffic Data

Some traffic characteristics can be measured directly, while others, because of their inherent nature, can
only be estimated. The large number of locations for which traffic information is often required normally
prevents direct measurement because of the high cost involved. In this case, reliance on estimates made
from short-term counts is the most cost effective option (TRL, 1993).
The confidence with which estimated data can be used is commensurate with its accuracy. It is therefore
essential to be able to assess, and where necessary, vary the accuracy of any estimation process. Since
estimation provides such a large proportion of traffic data, the assessment of its accuracy is as important as
the actual physical counting process (TRL, 1993).

1.5 Storage and Presentation of Traffic Data

Traffic data from a road system involving a large number of road segments will lead to the accumulation of a
large volume of records over a period of time. Thus physical storage; handling and interpretation may be a
problem. Using electronic data processing techniques to store and process traffic data may alleviate the
problem (TRL, 1993).
The user of the data needs selected, specific data, presented in a clear, concise and unambiguous form.
Presentation is an important part of the traffic counting system (TRL, 1993).

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1.6 References
Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA), 2002, Pavement Maintenance Management System Data
Collection Manual, AACRA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Austroads, 1992, Pavement Design A Guide to Structural Design of Road Pavements, Austroads, Sydney.
Austroads, 1988, Guide to Traffic Engineering Practice, Part 3 Traffic Studies, Austroads, Sydney,
Australia.
National Association of Australian State Road Authorities (NAASRA), 1982, Guide to Traffic Engineering
Practice, NAASRA, Sydney, Australia.
National Association of Australian State Road Authorities (NAASRA), 1982, Guide to Traffic Counting in
State Road Authorities, NAASRA, Sydney, Australia.
National Association of Australian State Road Authorities (NAASRA), 1987, Guidelines for Weighing of
Vehicles, NAASRA, Sydney, Australia.
Transport and Road Research Laboratory, 1978, Road Note 40 A Guide to the Measurement of Axle
Loads in Developing Countries using a Portable Weighbridge, Department of the Environment, Department
of Transport, Crowthorne, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Transport Research Laboratory, 1993, Overseas Road Note 11 Urban Road Traffic Surveys, Overseas
Centre, Transport Research Laboratory, Crowthorne, Berkshire, United Kingdom.

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