Abstract
The shape of the tire-soil contact surface under a static load and under tire traveling was investigated by finite element analysis using an anisotropic elastic wheel model and also by tests. The shape of the traveling tire was measured with a laser sensor installed on the rim of the tire. Under a static load, the tire shape on the contact surface formed an arc symmetric with the vertical axis running through the center of the tire. Under tire traveling, the arc of the contact surface shifted forward. Therefore, the maximum tire deformation moved anterior to the bottom dead center of the tire. The radius of curvature of the contact surface was longer under tire traveling than under static load, but it remained constant with decreasing inflation pressure of the tire and with increasing slippage. The analysis results under tire traveling agreed well with the test results, and so the anisotropic elastic wheel model of the tire was considered appropriate for analyses of the shape of the tire-soil contact surface.
