(A) The maximum axle load shall not exceed the number of pounds designated in the following provisions which prescribe the distance between axles.
(1) When the axle spacing is nine feet or more between axles, the maximum axle load shall not exceed 18,000 pounds for vehicles equipped with high pressure pneumatic or balloon tires.
(2) When the axle spacing is less than nine feet between two axles, but more than three and one-half feet, the maximum axle load shall not exceed 13,000 pounds for high pressure pneumatic or balloon tires.
(3) When axles are spaced less than three and one-half feet apart, the maximum axle load shall not exceed 9,000 pounds per axle.
(4) Divisions (A)(1), (A)(2) and (A)(3) above shall be known as the normal loading maximum.
(B) When normal loading is in effect, the state’s Transportation Department and local authorities with respect to highways under their jurisdiction may designate certain highways, or sections of those highways, where bridges and road surfaces are adequate for heavier loading, which designation may be revised as needed, on which the maximum tandem axle assembly loading shall not exceed 16,000 pounds for any axle of the assembly, if there is no other axle within nine feet of any axle of the assembly.
(C) (1) Except as provided in division (H) below, on a legal combination of vehicles, only one tandem axle assembly shall be permitted on the designated highways at the gross permissible weight of 16,000 pounds per axle, if there is no other axle within nine feet of any axle of the assembly and if no other tandem axle assembly in the combination of vehicles exceeds a gross weight of 13,000 pounds per axle.
(2) When a maximum gross weight of a combination of vehicles with load does not exceed 72,280 pounds, two tandem axle assemblies shall be permitted on the designated highways at a gross permissible weight of 16,000 pounds per axle, if there is no other axle within nine feet of any axle of the assembly.
(D) The normal size of tires shall be the rated size as published by the manufacturers, and the maximum wheel load permissible for any wheel shall not exceed 700 pounds per inch of width of tire.
(E) During the months of March, April and May in each year, the maximum axle load allowable on concrete pavements, or pavement with a concrete base, shall be reduced by 25% from the maximum axle load as specified in this section, and the maximum axle loads allowable on all other types of roads during these months shall be reduced by 35% from the maximum axle loads as specified. The maximum wheel load shall not exceed 525 pounds per inch of tire width on concrete and concrete base or 450 pounds per inch of tire width on all other roads during the period the seasonal road restrictions are in effect.
(F) The state’s Transportation Department, or a local authority, with respect to highways under its jurisdiction, may suspend the restrictions imposed by this section when and where in its discretion, conditions of the highways or the public health, safety and welfare so warrant, and may impose the restricted loading requirements of this section on designated highways at any other time that the conditions of the highway may require.
(G) (1) For the purpose of enforcement of this subchapter, the gross vehicle weight of a single vehicle and load or a combination of vehicles and loads shall be determined by weighing individual axles or groups of axles, and the total weight on all axles shall be the gross vehicle weight.
(2) In addition, the gross axle weight shall be determined by weighing individual axles or by weighing a group of axles and dividing the gross weight of the group of axles by the number of axles in the group. Pursuant to division (H) below, the overall gross weight on a group of two or more axles shall be determined by weighing individual axles or several axles and the total weight of all the axles in the group shall be the overall gross weight of the group.
(H) The loading maximum in this division (H) shall apply to interstate highways and the state’s Transportation Department, or a local authority with respect to highways under its jurisdiction, may designate a highway, for the operation of vehicles having a gross vehicle weight of not more than 80,000 pounds which are subject to the following load maximums:
(1) Twenty thousand pounds on any one axle, including all enforcement tolerances;
(2) A tandem axle weight of 34,000 pounds, including all enforcement tolerances; and
(3) An overall gross weight on a group of two or more consecutive axles equaling:
W + 500 LN + 12N + 36
N-1
where:
W = overall gross weight on a group of two or more consecutive axles to the nearest 500 pounds;
L = distance in feet between the extreme of a group of two or more consecutive axles; and
N = number of axles in the group under consideration; except that, two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of 34,000 pounds each if the first and last axles are not less than 36 feet apart. The gross vehicle weight shall not exceed 80,000 pounds, including all enforcement tolerances. Except for five-axle truck tractor, semi-trailer combinations having two consecutive sets of tandem axles, vehicles having a gross weight in excess of 80,000 pounds or in excess of the vehicle gross weight determined by application of the formula in this division (H) shall be subject to the maximum axle loads of divisions (H)(1), (H)(2) and (H)(3) above. As used in this division (H), TANDEM AXLE WEIGHT means the total weight transmitted to the road by two or more consecutive axles, the centers of which may be included between parallel transverse vertical planes spaced more than 409 inches, but not more than 96 inches apart extending across the full width of the vehicle.
(Prior Code, § 22.1-56) (Ord. 885, passed 7-16-1990)