Turning radius and Bus Barn

[aggies09]

I am in the process of planning a new bus barn for my new to me Liberty. Does anyone know the required distance for a ninety degree turn in a 45XL? I haven't picked up the coach yet, so i can't just go outside and measure. I am trying to determine the allowances needed for turning into and out of a pull through bus barn. I would appreciate your comments.

[adamdegraff]

Are you talking about the turning radius for the 1997 you have listed at the bottom of your post? Or are you getting a newer bus? Correct me if I'm wrong, but your 1997 does not have independent front suspension. (Nor does my 96.) I think 98 was the first year for independent front sus. So yours and mine should be the same. If this is the case, I'll look it up in my manual. I think I saw it in there once. Let me know.

Adam

[aggies09]

Adam,

I am talking about the '97. This is a new to me bus that I am waiting to pick up and am trying to get a storage facility set up and am trying to figure out how much swing room I need pulling in and out of the structure. I appreciate your help on this.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Tony, the turn radius of an XLV is, 41.75 feet.

You had better make it larger though for ease and comfort.

[aggies09]

Jim,

Thanks. That will help me a lot in my planning. I performed numerous searches and couldn't find that info anywhere.

Thanks again.

[Will Garner]

Aggies09,

I hope to be able to attach copies of the 40' and 45' AASHTO turning radius design guides. The templates show more than just the turning radius, such as overhang and inside radius. This is my first attempt on this forum to attach anything so here goes .... Well it won't work as a .pdf file. I'll be back in a minute after I convert it to a .jpg file and see if that gets it under the size limit.

OK, .jpg made it under the size limits. Yeah! Sorry for the one being upside down. The book is many pages thick and it was the only way to hold it in the scanner and hit the keyboard/mouse keys.

The website for AASHTO is www.transportation.org. There may be other design parameters that you need and may be able to find them on the site.

[Ray Davis]

Very cool info!

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Tony,

Make everything bigger than you think you will need it to be.

I have a 45 foot bus sitting in a garage at the end of a driveway that is perfect for a 40 foot bus. If you make a driveway radius to the minimum you will be repairing it within a few months.

If you have to run your wheels close to the edge of a driveway the edges will beging breaking away. Leave as much room from the travel path of the wheels to the edge of the concrete (recommended) as possible. This will minimize the breaking of the concrete which needs to be substantial. I have 7" thickness and it has held up very well.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Very good piece of information Will. I needed that. Thanks!

[aggies09]

Will,

That was great information. I should be able to plan from the information shown. I have approximately 170' width to work with, so as long as I can maintain adequate swing room I can plan a pull through design.

Jon, I will keep the concrete thickness in mind. Did you pour your slab 7" thick as well? What psi concrete and reinforcement steel do you recommend? Will standard residential construction type placement with #3 in the field and #5 in beams be sufficient?

I appreciate the input from everybody.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Tony,

The driveway and garage floor slab are both 7" thick. They have been in place for about 8.5 years and have held up very well. Even in the two places where I have to run the wheels right next to the edge of the concrete it has not broken.

I can support the bus on jacks or stands on the garage slab near the pit and there has been no problems.

I am assuming it is a 3000# mix. The garage floor has both #3 or #4 rebar as does the driveway, and the floor only has fiberglass reinforcing. The base beneath the concrete is rock, gravel, pug mix and it was all compacted with a sheepsfoot roller.