Soil-tyre interaction parameters influencing soil compaction: A study of contact area prediction models

Soil compaction is. mainly a function of the pressure applied on the ground surface. Therefore, tyre ground pressure is a basic parameter for characterizing the interaction between tyre and soil, and can be a good indicator of the soil compaction caused by different vehicles. In order to determine mean ground pressure, tyre load and contact area have to be measured. Contact area depends on the following tyre parameters: type, diameter, section width, inflation pressure and carcass stiffness. It also depends on type and conditions of soil, and on the load carried by the tyre. Several methods have been proposed in the past to measure contact area both on rigid surface and on deformable soil; theoretical and empirical models have also been proposed for predicting contact area. The aim of this paper is to use those measurements to compare and validate some of the prediction models available in the literature.