1 Executive Summary 1.1 Background Weigh-in-motion (WIM) is a technology that can be used for various private and public purposes (i.e. applications) related to the weights and axle loads of road and rail vehicles. WIM systems are installed on the road or rail track or on a vehicle and measure, store and provide data from the traffic flow and/ or the specific vehicle. For WIM systems certain specific conditions apply. These conditions have an impact on the quality and reliability of the data measured by the WIM system and of the durability of the sensors and WIM system itself. WIM systems measure the dynamic axle loads of the vehicles and try to calculate the best possible estimate of the related static values. The WIM systems have to perform unattended, under harsh traffic and environmental conditions, often without any control over the way the vehicle is moving, or the driver is behaving. As a result of these specific measurement conditions, a successful implementation of a WIM system requires specific knowledge and experience. Over the past decades, a vast amount of scientific and practical experience has been gathered on the development, installation and operation of WIM systems. However, these experiences often come in the form of technical scientific reports, which are typically not accessible or understandable to a novice user of WIM systems or data. They often lack the answers that a WIM user is looking for. Consequently, the International Society for Weigh-In-Motion has decided to develop a document providing basic, yet a comprehensive introduction to WIM. This document covers different aspects related to the working, specification, purchase, installation, testing, operation and maintenance of WIM systems, and the application of the data they produce. To enhance accessibility for users starting with WIM, these topics are described in an easy-tounderstand language. This means that sometimes a simplified description is given that may not be completely in line with the latest scientific results. For those interested in more detailed and scientific explanations, references to these detailed reports are included.
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