Wind Effects on Truck Scales

[lindbls]

I'm working with four above ground, low profile truck scales (bottom of the scales 7-18 are inches above grade). Wind effects appear to be causing fluctuations on the readings up to 600 lbs, both positive and negative, with or without traffic on the scale. Fluctuations occur regardless of wind direction. The scale company already provided some dampening of the scales to limit the fluctuations. This helped, but did not solve the problem. A large wind wall was constructed at one scale but is questionable whether it helped.

Any other suggestions? Blocking wind from beneath the scales would be easiest to construct. But, how much of the fluctuations are due to wind OVER the scales? How to quantify this with any reasonable accuracy?

I suspect this problem is not unique and has been resolved successfully somewhere...

 

[davidjh]

I was involved in the operation of flight test airplanes which were required to be weighed often. Extreme acuracy was desired. Wind was one of the variables contributing to the limits of our accuracy. We never did "solve" the problem. Couldn't talk our management into putting up a enclosure. AT Edwards AFB (the USAF flight test center) they have a huge "weight hanger". We at least had luxury of a window of time in which to do the weighing. Perhaps you can find/create a cost efficient enclosure of some sort. Perhaps you could tie-in a measurment of wind with the scale readings so as to define the "most stable" and therefore the "best" reading.