Responses of a thin flexible pavement loaded with tires of various dimensions and configurations

This study examines pavement responses under six tire types: two conventional duals, one conventional single, two first-generation widebase (FGWB) and one new-generation wide-base (NGWB) tire. Full-scale accelerated testing using a Heavy Vehicle Simulator measured stresses and strains in pavement layers under varying wheel loads, inflation pressures and lateral wander. Tire footprints were also recorded. Single tires caused higher strains in the asphalt concrete layer and greater stresses in unbound layers than dual tires, increasing the risk of fatigue cracking and permanent deformation. Among single tires, the NGWB 455/55R22.5 caused the least damage, while the FGWB 425/65R22.5 caused the most. Damage ratios showed that single tires were considerably more damaging than duals, depending on load and damage type. Increased load consistently raised stress and strain levels. However, inflation pressure effects varied: NGWB and dual tires showed decreased pavement responses with higher pressure, while other tires showed the opposite trend.