ROAD TRANSPORT AND INTERMODAL RESEARCH Dynamic Interaction between Vehicles and Infrastructure Experiment (DIVINE Project) Policy Implications Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

3 FOREWORD The Road Transport and Intermodal Linkages Research Programme is a cooperative approach among OECD Member countries to address technical, economic and policy issues relevant to safe and efficient road transport. The Programme, through its broader linkages to other modes of transport, reflects a multimodal approach to common transport problems and represents a combined attempt to reduce the negative impact of transport on the environment. The Programme has two main fields of activity: • International research and policy assessments of road and road transport issues to provide analytical support for decisions by Member governments and international governmental organisations. • Technology transfer and information exchange through two databases-the International Road Research Documentation (IRRD) scheme and the International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD). Its mission is to: • Enhance innovative research through international cooperation and networking. • Undertake joint policy analyses and prepare technology reviews of critical road transport issues. • Promote the exchange of economic, scientific and technical information in the transport sector and contribute to road technology transfer in OECD Member and non-member countries. • Promote the development of sound policies to achieve a safe and efficient transport sector that is responsive to the environment. 4 The activities of the programme concern: • Sustainable multimodal transport strategies. ABSTRACT IRRD NUMBER: E102245 The Dynamic Interaction between Vehicles and Infrastructure Experiment (DIVINE) Project provided scientific evidence of the dynamic effects of heavy vehicles and their suspension systems on pavements and bridges. These conclusions are detailed in the DIVINE Technical Report [DSTI/DOT/RTR/IR6(98)1/FINAL]. The purpose of the present report is to examine the policy options available to countries with a view to improving the interaction between heavy freight vehicles and pavements and bridges. Regulatory and economic options are considered, as well as changes in the design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure. These policies could allow countries to make significant savings through increased transport productivity and reduced infrastructure costs. The report guides the policy maker through the implications of the technical findings in order to allow national policies to be designed which fit in with national priorities, whether those are to increase weight limits or reduce the wear of existing infrastructure.