Effects of Tire Pressures on Flexible Pavements (Revised)

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Effects of Tire Pressures on Flexible Pavements (Revised)

F. L. Roberts / J. T. Tielking / D. Middleton / R. L. Lytton / K. Tseng

The study includes the results of (1) a field study to determine the tire inflation pressures currently being carried by Texas highways, (2) a literature and analytical study to determine what tire contact pressures are actually being applied by modern tires to pavements, and (3) an analytical study to evaluate the effect of these contact pressures on the stresses and strains in typical Texas flexible pavements. The field study showed that tire inflation pressures are much higher on the road than those typically used in design procedures or even in analysis. Truck tire pressures average between 95 and 100 psi on the road and 75-80 psi is typically used in design. However, these high truck tire inflation pressures translate to contact pressures in the range of 150 to 200 psi. The effect of these high contact pressures is especially detrimental for thin surfaced roads. The analytical pavement studies show that, for pavements typical of the Texas Farm to Market System, the fatigue lives can be reduced by more than 50 percent. These studies indicate that thin, flexible surfaces or thick stiff surfaces offer the best protection against these high contact pressures.