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NCHRP 01-36 [Completed]
Determination of Pavement Damage from Super-Single and Singled-Out Dual Truck Tires
| Project Data |
| Funds: |
$99,027 |
| Research Agency: |
University of Nevada, Reno |
| Principal Investigator: |
Peter E. Sebaaly |
| Effective Date: |
11/1/1996 |
| Completion Date: |
2/23/1998 |
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The project provided useful information on the use of super-single and singled-out dual truck tires. It highlighted the limited use of single-tire configurations in the United States, identified the factors that contributed to an increased use of these tires in certain countries, and indicated an unlikely substantial increase of their use in the near future.
The use of "super-single" tires and the practice of removing one tire from a conventional dual tire configuration, known as "singled-out dual" tires, have increased in recent years, primarily because of their favorable effects on a truck's tare weight and rolling resistance. In comparison to trucks equipped with conventional dual-tire configurations, trucks equipped with such single-tire configurations allow a higher pay load and increased fuel efficiency. However, single-tire configurations have different tire widths, pressures, and footprint dimensions than do conventional dual tires. Research has been performed on the effects of super-single and singled-out dual tire configurations on pavement performance and damage. Although research has shown that pavement deflections caused by single-tire configurations were higher than those caused by conventional dual-tire configurations, it has not provided clear conclusions concerning the extent of pavement damage or the measures needed to limit such damage. The lack of such information suggested the need for further research to address the effects of using single-tire configurations on pavement damage and to identify possible approaches for controlling pavement damage that will yield reduced life-cycle costs, improved ride quality, and other economic and environmental benefits. However, in view of the unlikely substantial increase in use of such tires in the near future, further work on the project will not be pursued.
Research included review of relevant domestic and foreign literature, determination of the prevalence of super-single and singled-out dual tires in single- and multiaxle configurations and estimate future trends, and development of a plan for estimating and comparing pavement distress caused by single-tire configurations to that caused by dual-tire configurations.
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