The key to road wear
Page 21
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THE RESULTS of a fouryear West German research project into the influence of commercial vehicle design on road wear and damage show that road life could be extended by relatively simple co-ordination of tyre and vehicle suspension.
The report, recently published by the Geneva-based International Road Transport Union, also makes it clear that axle weight is just one of many factors that affect the rate of road wear.
.Some conclusions drawn are that tyre dimensions and pressures have relatively little effect (although twinned tyres were found to cause less damage than equivalent wide singles).
It also concludes that "adequate vehicle suspension and shock absorber design make possible a considerable reduction in peak dynamic loads". And it says, surprisingly, that "demands on various kinds of road decrease as vehicle speed increases".
The report also quantifies the effect of road profiles and temperatures.
Its author, Werner Goerge of MAN, is a member of the IRU's technical commission.
The report is based on research by the Technical Universities of Munich and Hanover.