SLIPPERY WHEN WET: EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF WET-SURFACE TIRE PERFORMANCE

This article shows how the American company Veridian Engineering measures some properties of tyres on wet surfaces at its Tire Research Facility (TIRF). The area under the small patch of tyre tread area in contact with the road surface, its 'footprint', has an extremely complex pressure and friction distribution. TIRF test equipment can specify or measure these quantities very accurately. The footprint contact area determines how well a tyre can perform its many functions. Many variables affect it, including vehicle speed, tyre body rigidity, tyre tread design, tyre inflation pressure, road surface composition and roughness, and the nature and depth of any fluid that may be on the road surface. Experiments show quantitatively how slippery roads adversely affect tyre traction. The TIRF tyre test machine has a simulated roadway in the form of a 28in wide continuously moving flat stainless steel belt. It can perform a wide variety of standard and custom field test evaluations for a full range of tyre types and sites. Several roadway surfaces are available, each with different friction properties that can simulate a wide range of actual surfaces. The article outlines a typical tyre performance evaluation at TIRF, testing the relative effects of a wet surface on the lateral force developed by 11R24.5 lorry tyres.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/14618966
• Corporate Authors:

  UK and International Press

  120 South Street
  Dorking, Surrey RH4 2EU,   England 
• Authors:
  • Galganski, R A
• Publication Date: 2000-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 50-3
• Serial:
  • TESTING TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: UK and International Press
  • ISSN: 1461-8966

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Building materials; Design; Evaluation and assessment; Friction; Liquids; Measurement; Measuring instruments; Pavements; Pressure; Properties of materials; Simulation; Speed; Surface course (Pavements); Surfacing; Testing equipment; Tires; Wet weather
• Uncontrolled Terms: Wet pavements
• ITRD Terms: 6155: Apparatus (measuring); 9011: Design (overall design); 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 5452: Friction; 6733: Liquid; 4555: Material (constr); 6136: Measurement; 5412: Pressure; 5925: Properties; 9103: Simulation; 5408: Speed; 2972: Surfacing; 6247: Test rig; 1381: Tyre; 3015: Wet road
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Materials; Pavements; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00795133
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Jul 7 2000 12:00AM