‘THE FOURTH SAUDI ENGINEERING CONFERENCE, NOV. 1995 - VOLUME Tl ANALYSIS OF CURRENT TRUCK TIRE PRESSURE LEVELS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON HIGHWAY PAVEMENTS IN SAUDI ARABIA Abdullah I, Al-Mansour and Essam A. Sharaf Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University ABSTRACT. High tire pressure levels produce higher levels of stresses and strains in pavement structures, thus reducing their service lives. The main purpse of this study is to identify the operating levels of truck tire pressure in the Kingdom of Saudi ‘Arabia, and to analyze the effect of those levels on pavement service life. A sample of 1658 trucks (about 22,760 tires) collected from seven weigh stations on different locations on the Kingdom’s highway network was considered in this study. Current operating levels of tire pressure are very high (about 96% of tire pressure measurements are higher than 90 psi). Tensile strain at the bottom of lower bituminous layers was found to be the most affected pavement response parameters due to the high levels of tite pressure, Current tire pressure levels produce tensile strains of 5% lo 53% higher than those produced at a standard tire pressure of 90 psi which may cause a reduction in the pavement service life ranging from 20% to 70%. 1. INTRODUCTION Generally, increased tire pressure produces higher stress levels in the surface course of asphalt concrete pavements and leads to a rapid failure [1]. In the studies reported in References [2 and 3}, it was found that an increase in tire pressure from 75 to 125 psi produces an increase in the tensile sirain ranging from 20 to 30 percent. In Reference [4], it was concluded that higher truck tire pressure corresponds to a significant increase in tensile strain at the bottom of the asphalt concrete layer and, therefore, a significant decrease in fatigue life of pavement. For example, changing tire pressure ftom 75 to 110 psi resulted in a 33 percent increase in tensile strain and about 60% reduction in the fatigue life of the pavement. On the other hand, the same study reported that the increase in tire pressure increased the compressive strain at the top of subgrade by less than 2 percent. Similar results on that damaging effect of high tire pressures is also reported in References [5, 6 and 7} In contrast to the negative impacts of higher tire pressure on pavement responses, higher tire pressure can save considerable amount of energy. in Reference {7J, it was reported that the Secretary of Energy of USA announced that Energy Department estimates savings of 100,000 barrel per day if all vehicles inflated tires to the maximum pressure, Similar conclusions were reported in References [8 and 9} The main objectives of the study are 1 To collect data on tire pressure Jevels of different types of trucks using the highway network of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 4ih2. To conduct a theoretical analysis on the effect of current tire pressure levels on pavement response parameters and on pavement service life 2, DATA COLLECTION The main objective of this study was to collect and analyze tise pressure data and to use this data to conduct a theoretical analysis to determine the effect of current tire pressure levels on pavement. service life. Such analysis, however, requires the knowledge of representative values of wheel load magnitude and wheel spacing Therefore, it was decided to collect axle weight data along with ‘wheel spacing as reported in detail in References [10, 11] Field measurements of tire pressure, axle weights and wheel spacing were collected from seven weigh stations: 1) AlHassi; 2) Al-Muzahemia; and 3) Sharaura, 4) Jeddah, 5) Hail, 6) Dammam, 7) Khurais. The above data types were collected for all types of truck classes identified by the Ministry of Communications (MOC). Table | includes the axle configurations of those truck classes. The data was collected during the winter and summer seasons of two successive years (1413 and 1414 H), Table 1. Axle Configuration of MOC Truck Classes 1 Single Axle Single Tires | Single Axle Dual Tises 2 Single Axle Single Tires | Tandem Axle 3 ‘Single Axle Single Tires | Single Axle Dual Tires | Single Axle Dual Tires 4 ‘Single Axle Single Tires | Single Axle Dual Tires | Tandem Axle 5 ‘Single Axle Single Tires | Tandem Axle ‘Single Axle Dual Tires 6 ‘Single Axle Single Tires | Tandem Axle Tandem Axle 7 ‘Single Axle Single Tires _| Single Axle Dual Tires | Tridem Axle é ‘Single Axle Single Tires_| Tandem Axle Tridem Axle 3. RESULTS 3.1 General Statistics on the Number of trucks Included in the Study Table 2 shows the total number of different truck classes surveyed in the seven stations, From Table 2, it can be seen that truck classes number 1, 4 and 6 constitute more than 98% of the total number of trucks, Therefore, it was decided to only consider those classes (types 1, 4 and 6) in the subsequent analyses. Table 2. Number of Surveyed Trucks No. Of Trucks | 99 28 1 1357 | 0 167 6 0 3.2 Current Levels of Tire Pressure Tire pressure measurements were conducted using a pressure gauge with a scale ranging fom 0 10 160 psi. The average, the maximum and the minimum values of tire pressure for each axle in each of the main 3 truck types (types 1, 4 and 6) were determined 42Figure | shows the distribution of tire pressure values of all trucks included in the sample. ‘The tire pressure distribution shown in Figure 1 indicates that more than 96% of the tires surveyed were inflated to tite pressure more than 90 psi. Considering that tire pressure values of 70-90 psi are the standard values used in most pavement design procedures [12,13], this means that almost all trucks are operated with very high tire pressures. The distribution also shows that about 60% of trucks are operated with tire pressure level of 120 psi or higher and 5% with 140 psior higher. The reason for that can be referred to the fact that higher tire pressures save energy, as mentioned in the Introduction. On the other hand, such high values may cause higher levels of stresses and strains in the pavement structures and consequently lower service lives as will be discussed later in the paper. Percent of Trucks 80.90 90-100 100-110 110-120 120-130 130-140 140-150. 150-160 Tire Pressure (psi) Figure 1. Distribution of Tire Pressure Values Another important analysis that has been made in this work is the study of tire pressure levels at different truck loading (Truck Factor) levels. The importance of this analysis stems from the fact that higher levels of both truck factors and tire pressure cause more damage to pavement structures. Thus, if trucks with higher Joading levels (higher truck factors) are operated with high tire pressure, this would definitely cause very high levels of damage to pavement structures Unfortunately, this analysis proved, as will be presented below, that the above mentioned situation exists in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. First, in Figure 2, a three dimensional frequency distribution showing the number of trucks in different truck factor and tire pressure levels. The figure clearly shows that trucks with high levels of loading are also operated with high levels of tire pressure Second, statistical comparison tests were conducted between two groups of data sets: group 1 trucks operated under legal loading conditions (according to MOC legal axle load limits). group 2: trucks operated under illegal loading conditions (according to MOC legal axle load limits). 413180 a8 120 90 0 y " 30 100 ee Tire Pressume (pst) 332) Figure 2. Distribution of Trucks on the Basis of Tire Pressure Levels and Truck Factors The comparison tests were conducted for each axle-truck type combination, Tabie 3 summarizes the results of the comparison tests corihucted in this work. The results shown in the table indicates that, in general, the tire pressure levels of trucks classes 1 and 6 are not significantly different between trucks operated with legal loading conditions and those operated under illegal loading conditions. The situation is, however, reversed int the case of truck class 4. As truck class 4 represents about 85% of the total trucks, this has led to the significance difference reported for the case of all trucks in Table 3. These results again confirm that trucks operated with higher loading conditions are also operated under higher tire pressure levels which increases the damage effect of taflic using the highway network of KSA. Table 3. Summary of Resuits of the Statistical Comparison Tests* aa Truck Axle Group Total Class 1 2 3 —______| 1 Significant Not significant - Not significant 4 Not significant Significant Significant ‘Significant Not significant | Not significant | Significant | Not significant Significant *” Significance level (o.) = 5% 4343.3 Effect Of Current Tire Pressure Levels On Pavement Response Parameters The purpose of this section is to present the results of analyzing the effect of current tire pressure levels, as obtained from the field measurements, on pavement response parameters. As mentioned earlier, it was necessary in order to complete this analysis to have representative values for wheel load, and tire spacings. Therefore it was decided to use the average values of wheel loads (from ade weight data) and tire spacings (from the axle spacings data). Three tire pressure levels were considered in this analysis , the average tire pressure and the maximum tire pressure as obtained for each axle in each truck in each of the seven stations and a standard tire pressure value of 90 psi, ‘The ELSYMS computer program [12] was used to evaluate the effect of each combination on the three pavements responses: surface deflection (A), tensile strain (e)) at the bottom of last bituminous layer and compressive strain (€.) at the top of subgrade. Two typical sections (First section: representing main highways and the second section: representing minor roads) were used to evaluate tire pressure effect on the above mentioned pavement response parameters. A summary of the results of this analysis-is listed in Table 4. The ranges of increase in the values of different pavement responses are shown in the Table, It can be clearly seen from the table that the tensile strain is the pavement response that is most affected by the current operational tire pressure levels. This effect is more pronounced on the second pavement section (representing minor roads). Table 4. Effect of Current Tire Pressure Levels on Pavement Response Parameters 3.4 Effect Of Current Tire Pressure Levels On Pavement Service Life This section presents the results of analyzing the effect of current tire pressure levels, as obtained from the field measurements, on pavement service life. The DAMA computer program (14) was used to estimate the service lives associated with the two typical sections under representative values of axle weight and wheel spacings for several tire pressure levels, The results of this analysis are summarized in Figure 3 Considering the average and maximum tire pressure levels obtained from the field measurements, itis clear from the figure that if current average values of truck tire pressure were considered, pavement service life would be decreased by about 20% to 50% for section 1 (major highways) and section 2 (minor highways), respectively. If the maximum values were considered, pavement service life would be decreased by about 35% to 70% for sections 1 and 2, respectively. 415Service Life as a Percent of Design Life 90 100 110 40 130 140 160 160 Tire Pressure (psi) Figure 3. Effect of Tire Pressure Levels on Fatigue Design Life Reduction 4, CONCLUSIONS Based on the results obtained from the sample considered in this study, the following may be concluded: 1 Operating tire pressure levels are very high, if compared to standard levels of 70-90 psi. About 96% of the total tires considered in this study (22760 tires) were found to be operated with tire pressure levels more than 90 psi, about 60% of the sample operating, with tire pressure higher than 120 psi and 5% with 140 psi or higher ‘Trucks operated under illegal loading conditions (according to MOC specifications) tend to be operated under tire pressure levels higher than those of trucks operated under legal loading conditions. Higher loads coupled with higher tire pressure levels cause higher levels of damage to pavement structures. The effect of the operating tire pressure levels on pavement response was found to be as follows: a. The average and maximum operating levels of tire pressure have minor effect on both the surface deflection (A) and the compressive strain (é.) [about 2% to 4%], b. The average and maximum operating levels of tire pressure have more pronounced effect on the tensile strain (¢,). The average tire pressure levels cause an increase in tensile strain of about 4% to 11% and 14% to 32% when applied on strong pavement sections and weak pavement sections, respectively. On the other hand, the maximum tire pressure values cause an increase in tensile strain of about 9% to 18% and 23% to $3% when applied on strong pavement sections and weak pavement sections, respectively. 416C, The current tire pressure levels may cause a reduction in the service life of pavement sections by 20% to 70% if compared to the service life expected under a normal tire pressure level of 90 psi. 5, REFERENCES Oy (2) BA 41 54 (6) Yoder, EJ. and Witezak, M.W., "Principle of Pavement Design", 2nd Edition, John Wiley Inc,, 1975. Roberts, FL. et al "Effect of Tite Pressure on Flexible Pavement Report No, 372 - IF, Texas Transportation Institue, College Statistic Texas, 1986. Tickking, J., "A Finite Element Tire Model", Tire Science and Technology, Vol. If, Nos. 1-4, 1983, pp, $0- 63, Marshek, KM,, et al. 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