ROAD DAMAGE LIMITATION
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Tests reveat less road damage with tow tyre pressure operation
The CTI system chosen for the Con For Cymru trial is Bigfoot, from New Zealand, a country similar in topography to Wales. Research into the benefits of low tyre pressure operation was started by the US Forest Service in 1984. The initial tests revealed an 80% reduction in damage to unsealed roads as well as an 85% reduction in truck component damage.
In 1996, New Zealander Neil Wylie, whose CV includes five years as head of transport research at the then Logging Industry Research Organisation, set up Innovative Transport Equipment to commercialise CTI systems for New Zealand's forestry industry, which are now marketed as Bigfoot.
The firm's data shows a 40% increase in tyre footprint between 90psi and 30psi, and tyre deflection increases from 8% to 30%, with a corresponding rise in road shock absorption. Traction increases by around 17% on wet clay and up to 34% on sandy tracks, with each 17% increase equating to another 2% in gradeability.
As fitted to five axles of the Les Hughes Premium Lander combination, the Bigfoot system costs in the region of £10,000.