Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11681/35514
Title: Snow-road light-truck tire testing
Authors: Melendy, Terry D.
Menke, Amelia M.
Friedman, Daphnie C.
Winter, Reed R.
Keywords: Engineering--Cold weather conditions
EPOLAR
McMurdo Station (Antarctica)--Logistics
NSF
Roads--Antarctica
Snow mechanics
Trucks--Tires
Tires--Testing
Publisher: Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.)
Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)
Series/Report no.: Technical Report (Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)) ; no. ERDC/CRREL TR-20-2
Abstract: The United States Antarctic Program (USAP) anticipates replacing the light-truck fleet in the next 2–5 years and requested a detailed look at the potential tires to be used for ice-shelf work. The USAP fleet management team has worked to reduce the curb weight of potential truck options in an effort to minimize the impact on the snow roads. With current Ford F-350 pickups weighing in at 7840 lb empty and a ground pressure of approximately 17 psi, selecting a lighter truck frame would present major ad-vantages. Similarly, operating the current Mattracks (track system in lieu of tires) installed on some of on the light-truck fleet has run between $35 and $50 an hour over the past 6 years, costing the USAP program as much as $40,000 per season per vehicle. A light truck on tires, for comparison, operated at $6 per hour at McMurdo Station over the same time span. Following testing of nine different types of tires, this report concludes that a suitable tire replacement for the light-truck fleet is commercially available. The BFGoodrich K2, particularly in the Light Truck 32.8 in. (nominally 33 in.) diameter size (BFG LT33), shows significant advantages at all sizes in this tread pattern.
Description: Technical Report
Gov't Doc #: ERDC/CRREL TR-20-2
Rights: Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/11681/35514
http://dx.doi.org/10.21079/11681/35514
Size: 47 pages / 6.272 Mb
Types of Materials: PDF/A
Appears in Collections:Technical Report

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