The Impact of Wide-Base Tires on Pavement Damage: A National Study

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Various research studies in the past have investigated the potential pavement damage of wide-base tires as compared to regular dual-tire assemblies, with many drawing the conclusion that wide-base tires are more damaging to pavements. Earlier research studies documented in the literature were conducted on early generations of wide-base tires, which may or may not have been intended for highway use. Recent advances in tire technology have led to the design of wide-base tires that have wider tread than previous designs, resulting in a load distribution more comparable to that of dual tires. Therefore, an evaluation of these new tire designs is needed to determine their contribution to pavement damage and other factors, such as safety and economic impacts, with respect to dual configurations. There is also the issue of the discrepancy between the reported width of the tire and the actual tread width. From an enforcement perspective, it is much easier to read the width of the tire than to measure it. From the pavement's perspective, all that contributes to the damage of the pavement is the width of the tire that it contacts. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership promotes the use of wide-base tires as a way to improve fuel economy by reducing weight, aerodynamic drag, and rolling resistance. Other potential benefits the EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership cite are reduced driveby noise and improved stability. Trucking operation factors that directly affect pavement damage can be classified into three major components: vehicle-generated load, axle and tire configuration transferring the load, and pavement carrying the load. To fully characterize the damage induced by different tire and axle configurations, the effects of vehicle, tire, and pavement and their interaction must be considered. Vehicle and tire factors include axle loads, axle spacing, speed, tire inflation pressure, and tire configurations. Pavement parameters include surface roughness, materials properties, layer thicknesses, and subgrade strength.