Experimental Test of an Articulated Lorry Swept Path

Abstract

The regulatory requirements limiting the physical dimensions of heavy vehicles and driving skills do not guarantee the feasibility of negotiating the tightest curves of compact roundabouts. The specific evaluations needed for the intersection and the assumed design vehicle are often achieved by setting vehicle movement trajectories via computer programs, given the possibility of changing the design parameters both quickly and economically. The basic requirement for using these programs is their reliability, but they do have some weaknesses and flaws because of necessary simplifications, without which running the simulations would not be workable. A field test based on global positioning system instrumentation was conducted to define the area covered by a heavy vehicle turning in a real compact roundabout, successively compared with the simulated swept path. The preparation and the results of the experiment are described in the present study.