Impact of Tire Loading and Tire Pressure on Measured 3D Contact Stresses

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) tire-pavement contact stresses for two types of tires used by the truck industry (new generation wide-base tire [WBT] and dual-tire assembly [DTA]) were measured and compared. The testing matrix was composed of five loads (P) (26.6, 35.5, 44.4, 62.1, and 79.9 kN) and four tire inflation pressures (σ0) (552, 690, 758, and 862 kPa). The equipment used for measuring the 3D-contact stresses is described along with the testing procedure and the methodology followed during data processing. The effect of applied load and tire-inflation pressure on the variation of longitudinal, transverse, and vertical contact stresses along the contact length of each tire type was analyzed. Differences in the distribution and magnitude of the aforementioned stresses were observed between WBT and DTA; these differences are an important factor linked to pavement damage caused by each tire configuration. This experimental effort is part of a national study to evaluate the effect of WBT on pavement damage and compare it to that of DTA.