2. Axle and vehicle weights. Regulatory aspects

2.1 French Highway Code

As mentioned above, axle weight requirements in France are defined by the Highway Code, and more specifically by articles R. 312-5 and R. 312-6. They are currently as follows:

• R. 312-5: "The most heavily loaded axle of a vehicle or vehicle component must not support a load exceeding 13 tons". This value is essential since, as we shall see later, the 13 t (130 kN) twin axle is the reference axle for the French dimensioning method;

• R. 312-6: "On vehicles or parts of vehicles with more than two axles, the load on the most heavily loaded axle belonging to a group of axles must not, depending on the distance separating two consecutive axles in this group, exceed the following values:...