STUDDED TIRES - SKID RESISTANCE AND PAVEMENT DAMAGE

STUDDED SNOW TIRES WERE INTRODUCED BY TIRE MANUFACTURERS IN 1964 TO PROVIDE INCREASED SKID RESISTANCE AND TRACTION ON ICE AND PACKED SNOW. A TYPICAL STUD CONSISTS OF A 3/32-IN. DIAMETER TUNGSTEN CARBIDE CORE PROTRUDING 1/16 IN. FROM A 3/16-IN. DIAMETER STEEL SHEATH WHICH FITS VERY TIGHTLY IN HOLES FORMED IN THE TREAD. THIS INVESTIGATION WAS PERFORMED TO DETERMINE IF STUDDED TIRES WOULD BE MORE SLIPPERY THAN REGULAR SNOW TREADS ON WET OR DRY PAVEMENTS, AND TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF STUDS ON SKID RESISTANCE ON ICE AND PACKED SNOW. IN ADDITION, INFORMATION WAS DESIRED CONCERNING PAVEMENT DAMAGE WHICH MIGHT BE CAUSED BY STUDDED TIRES. A STUDDED SNOW TIRE AND AN IDENTICAL SNOW TIRE WITHOUT STUDS WERE PURCHASED. THE TIRES /7.75X14/ WERE MADE BY A MAJOR MANUFACTURER, AND ONE CONTAINED ABOUT 70 STUDS, 6 OF WHICH CONTACTED THE ROAD SURFACE AT ANY ONE TIME. THESE TIRES WERE MOUNTED ON THE DEPARTMENT SKID TEST TRAILER. TESTS WERE PER- FORMED BY LOCKING A TRAILER WHEEL AND SLIDING THE TEST TIRE AT A CONSTANT SPEED OF 30 MPH. OVER 100 TESTS WERE PERFORMED WITH THE STUDDED TIRE ON ICE AND SNOW AND ON WET AND DRY BI- TUMINOUS AND CONCRETE PAVEMENTS. AFTER EACH TEST THE ROAD SURFACE WAS EXAMINED FOR DAMAGE. THE STUDDED AND UNSTUDDED TIRES PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AMOUNT OF SKID RESISTANCE ON BARE PAVEMENTS, EITHER WT OR DRY, AT 30 MPH. AT THIS SPEED THE STUDDED TIRE INCREASED SKID RESISTANCE ON ICE ABOUT 40 PERCENT AND ON PACKED SNOW ABOUT 9 PERCENT. THE PAVEMENT DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SLIDING STUDDED TIRE WAS NOT CONSIDERED SIGNIFICANT. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN AN INDICATION OF PAVEMENT WEAR THAT MIGHT RESULT FROM EXTENSIVE USE OF STUDDED TIRES ON HIGHWAYS CARRYING LARGE VOLUMES OF TRAFFIC. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1966/136/136-004.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Ad Hoc Committee on Studded Tires and present at the 45th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Burnett, W B
  • Kearney, E J
• Publication Date: 1966

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 24-30
• Monograph Title: Studded tires
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 136
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Defects; Dryness; Frost damage; Moisture content; Pavement distress; Pavements; Skid resistance; Skid resistance tests; Snow and ice control; Speed; Studded tires; Studs; Tires; Trailers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Dry conditions; Wet conditions
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00206235
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 18 1994 12:00AM