TRACKS VERSUS WHEELS IN SOFT SOIL AND SNOW

ON THE BASIS OF ARGUMENTS ADVANCED AND DATA PRESENTED, THE FOLLOWING POINTS ARE CONCLUDED: (A) A GENERAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF WHEELS VERSUS TRACKS IS NOT FEASIBLE. (B) WHETHER TO USE WHEELS OR TRACKS IS A QUESTION WICH MUST BE ANSWERED EACH TIME A NEW VEHICLE REQUIREMENT IS POSED. (C) THE FOLLOWING ARE THE PRINCIPAL FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED IN MAKING THE DECISION: MISSION, INITIAL COST, SUSPENSION VULNERABILITY, OBSTACLE PERFORMANCE, RIDABILITY, FUEL ECONOMY, MAINTENANCE COST, AND SOFT-SOIL PERFORMANCE. (D) SOFT-SOIL PERFORMANCE IS THE PRINCIPAL FACTOR THAT HAS MOTIVATED THE SELECTION OF TRACKS OVER WHEELS. /NTIS/

• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station

  3909 Halls Ferry Road
  Vicksburg, MS  United States  39180-6199
• Authors:
  • Freitab, D R
  • Janosi, Z J
• Publication Date: 1964-5

Media Info

• Pagination: 57 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Performance; Railroad tracks; Snow; Soft rock; Soils; Trafficability; Wheels
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00219486
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: No 4-651 Misc Paper
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 20 1973 12:00AM