Bus load limits

Started by Busfanatic101, October 30, 2014, 06:50:22 AM

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Busfanatic101


An interesting article I read yesterday

QuoteBus loads to increase as passengers fatten


Buses around the nation are struggling to operate within maximum load laws due to Australia's growing obesity problem.

Authorities are looking at increasing the mass limit of a two-axle bus from 16 to 18 tonnes, according to the National Transport Commission's annual report.
The report highlights that when the laws were designed in 1989, the average adult's weight was taken as 65kg.
In fact they were slightly heavier, according to the ABS, with the average man 77.4kg and the
average woman 62.6kg.
And waistlines have only grown since.
The NTC says a 2011-12 Australian Health Survey found the average male had increased to 86kg, while the average female was 71kg.
The health report further found about 63 per cent of adults were now overweight or obese - up from 45 per cent in 1989.
"It is possible that buses can be technically overloaded even when within their maximum passenger operating limits," the NTC annual report explains.
Something's got to give, argue bus operators, and the NTC has recommended that the National Vehicle Regulator develop a notice to allow an 18-tonne nationwide limit.
But buses are not just straining under fatter passengers.
Wheelchair access lifts, fuel-efficient engines, rollover protection devices and air-conditioning units are also adding weight to each bus.
The notice to increase the limit by two tonnes is expected to be progressed over the next year, the NTC said.
AAP

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/bus-loads-to-increase-as-passengers-fatten-20141028-11d9qx.html#ixzz3HZ5sp9g1

Busfanatic101

How would this affect ACTION? Does this also mean the # of passengers that the bus is allowed to carry (as shown at the back of the bus) could be different, or is that unrelated to weight?

The Love Guru

No issue at all for ACTON.
Buses have load capacity determined by using an average weight. Hence gas buses have a lower capacity due to a higher tare weight.
If the 18t rule is adopted, it will see the end of Australia's hybrid chassis like the B7RLE etc as we will be able to import chassis direct from Europe. This is the main reason for the 18t rule, to bring us into line with European standards.
Unfortunately Australia's roads aren't up to the standard required to sustain 18t on 2 axles. Road damage will increase relative to axle loading. Buses are the worst offenders for road damage due to having the highest axle loadings of almost any vehicle on the road and the very stop/start nature of the work they perform.

belcodriver

Road damage is proportional to the 4th power of the weight on the axle. Thus doubling the weight on an axle increases the damage 16 times.

The Love Guru

Providing the surface area of the tyre in contact with the road remains the same. There is also the additional forces involved in braking and accelerating.
Best solution, build better roads in the first place!