STEERABILITY ANALYSIS OF MULTIAXLE WHEELED VEHICLES; DEVELOPMENT OF A SOIL-WHEEL INTERACTION MODEL

This report describes the development of a mathematical model for calculating the motion resistance, sinkage, drawbar pull, torque, and side force for a flexible wheel traversing a yielding (or deformable) surface. To facilitate computations, the deformed boundary of the wheel is assumed to be an arc of a larger circular wheel. The entire soil-wheel interaction process is treated as two springs in series, one describing the flexibility of the tire and one describing the elastic-plastic deformation of the soil. Mathematical expressions are derived for the two spring constants in terms of the load deflection characteristics of the tire, the undeflected configuration of the wheel, and the mechanical properties of soil (both shearing response and compressiblity characteristics). The system of equations describing the performance of the wheel is solved numerically via a computer program called TIRE. An extensive series of parametric calculations is conducted with TIRE to demonstrate the application of the methodology and to study the performance of flexible wheels on different types of soil under various kinematic conditions. A partial validation of the proposed interaction model is established by comparing the results of laboratory tests for clay, sand, and mixed soils with corresponding model predictions. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station

  Structures Laboratory, 3909 Halls Ferry Road
  Vicksburg, MS  United States  39180-6199

  Department of the Army

  Army Corps of Engineers
  Washington, DC  United States  20314
• Authors:
  • Baladi, G Y
  • Rohani, B
  • Bames, D E
• Publication Date: 1984-1

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 133 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Axles; Computer programs; Drawbar pull; Equations; Heavy vehicles; Maneuverability; Mathematical models; Soils; Tires; Torque; Wheels
• Uncontrolled Terms: Interaction; Sinkage
• Old TRIS Terms: Resistance
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00389040
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Tech Report GL-84-1
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 30 1984 12:00AM