Skip to main content

UK or HK Highway Design Loading

To BD37/01 (UK) or HK SDM (1997 edition)

Note this loading on constant width carriageways is best dealt with by specifying the design code in the Bridge Loading Analysis Specification dialogue when paths and loading will be generated automatically. For varying width carriageways or local analysis where the loaded area under individual wheels is important the following components are available:

Vehicles​

  • HB45-6 – 45 unit HB vehicle to BD37 with 6m between central axles (to generate other weights of HB vehicle use the load factor column).
  • HB45-11, HB45-16, HB45-21, HB45-26 – 45 unit HB vehicles with larger spacing between central axles.

VUDL​

  • HA (UK) – full HA loading to BD37
  • HA (HK) – full HA loading to HK SDM dated 1997
  • Foot (UK) – full footway loading on a 1m strip to BD37
  • Foot (HK) – full footway loading on a 1m strip to BD37 (using HAHK)

Path Loading​

  • HA (UK) – VUDL + 120kN KEL
  • HA (HK) – VUDL + 120kN KEL
  • HB – most onerous of the standard 45 unit vehicles HB45-6, HB45-11 … HB45-26
  • Foot (UK) – load on a 1m wide footway
  • Foot (HK) – load on a 1m wide footway
  • HB + HA(UK) – Vehicle+VUDL – exclusion length for HB vehicles is 25.2m from the end axles.
  • HB+HA(Hong Kong) – Vehicle+VUDL – exclusion length for HB vehicles is 25.2m from the end axles.
  • Shadow HB + HA(UK) – HA VUDL outside the exclusion length for an HB vehicle, to use when the vehicle straddles two lanes
  • Shadow HB + HA(HK) – HA VUDL outside the exclusion length for an HB vehicle, to use when the vehicle straddles two lanes

These loads should normally be applied to Lane Paths between 2.5m and 3.65m wide. Where lanes are less than 3.5m wide then the HB vehicle does not fit entirely within a single lane. In this case vehicle paths can be used to place the vehicle eccentrically, with Shadow HB + HA loading on the lane paths.