ABSTRACT
Vehicle-Pavement Interaction (V-PI) is an important factor to consider during logistical cost optimisation for the agricultural sector. Fresh produce, such as tomatoes, are susceptible to mechanical damage during transportation, lowering the profit margin for the grower and the retailer. The amount of damage to produce is directly influenced by the road condition. With deteriorating road conditions the vibrations increase and in response so does the damage to tomatoes. By considering the roughness values of roads used and the speed of the vehicle during the transportation of tomatoes, the estimated damage to the tomatoes can be calculated.
In the study reported in this paper, different truck types, route options, speeds and packaging options were evaluated to determine how the road condition affect the deterioration of tomatoes of a range of different maturities.
Colour changes on the tomatoes were monitored at fixed positions where stresses related to different road conditions were applied, and these data compared to stress measurements obtained in situ during transportation of tomatoes on the range of routes. The output of the study is a model relating the speed, road roughness and maturity stage of the fruit with the deterioration of the quality of the product. This type of model assist road managers to appreciate and quantify the effect of decisions made regarding road maintenance on the road users and the broader transportation economy.
