Demonstration of performance-based standards

Purpose and goal

The study´s main objective was to demonstrate performance-based standards in operational environment and to investigate and quantify potentials to reduce the environmental impact of heavy transportation in cities and urban areas. The study indicates that introduction of performance-based standards for heavier vehicles can result in energy efficiency and fuel savings of 10-25 %, decreases the number of transportation of bulk goods by 30-40 %, and that the impact of the vehicles on noise, congestion and traffic accidents are reduced.

Expected results and effects

Field tests showed that longer and heavier vehicles do not need to increase the comfort vibrations and that they decrease sharply at a speed of 10 km/h. The extent of vibrations was affected by the type of vehicle combination used, although the parameters expected to affect the vibrations were the same. Accessibility for trucks longer than 12 m was mostly good on tested transport routes which are limited to 12 m vehicle length. The results showed that the length of a vehicle combination deos not need to correlate with its accessibility. The results have been compiled in a report, TFK 2020:1.

Planned approach and implementation

Based on results from field tests, supplemented with literature studies and interviews, performance-based standars have been analyzed based on productivity, efficiency, environment, safety, congestion and infrastructure impact. Two field tests have been conducted in Stockholm: accessibility tests to identify the ability to drive longer vehicles and identify performance parameters relevant to accessibility, and vibration tests to investigate how comfort vibrations are affected by longer and heavier vehicles and which parameters that affect the appearance of vibrations.