The TYROSAFE Project is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) in the Seventh EU
Framework Programme and aims at coordinating and preparing for European harmonisation
and optimisation of the assessment and management of essential tyre/road interaction
parameters to increase safety and support the greening of European road transport. The
project has focussed on three road surface “properties” as they are referred to in this and
earlier TYROSAFE reports: skid resistance, rolling resistance and noise emission. The
project has sought to find a way towards a consistent approach to policies governing these
properties in Europe supported by harmonised measurement techniques, especially for skid
resistance, together with surface and tyre characteristics optimised in relation to the three
properties.
The project is being carried out in a number of Work Packages and the objective of WP3, to
which this report relates, was to describe the different parameters of road surfaces and tyres
that are relevant to skid resistance, rolling resistance and noise emission (covered in
Deliverable D10), leading to a matrix that clarifies the interdependencies of the different
factors (dealt with in Deliverable D14) that it will be important to understand if optimisation is
to be achieved. From this analysis, the important knowledge gaps have been identified,
providing a basis for suggesting areas for further research. It is the latter two components –
knowledge gaps and research ideas – that are the subject of this report, which is the final
written report from WP3.
At the outset of the TYROSAFE project, it was clear that road surfacings and tyres are
currently developed independently of one another. In relation to the three properties on which
the project concentrates, this becomes especially obvious: roads are currently developed
without real thought to tyres and tyres are tested without reference to road surfacings in
every-day use.
The three surface properties are governed by a number of individual factors that relate to the
construction or manufacture of road surfaces and tyres, or their component parts, which
potentially act or interact to influence them. Some of the interdependencies are well known
but others are not and it is these unknown interactions that lead to the knowledge gaps that
will require research to resolve.
Analysing many years of research and the interaction matrices in D14, it becomes apparent
that “texture” – both that of the road surface and that of tyres (in the form of the tread
pattern), and the way that they combine in the contact patch – is the most important broad
factor which needs to be understood for optimising tyres and road surfaces. This factor, on
all its scales, influences the interaction between tyre and road to develop friction; it is plays a
significant role in noise generation or attenuation and, potentially in tyre rolling resistance.
There are also other aspects of road surfaces and tyres, such as the impacts that
construction techniques might have on the surface properties that show gaps in current
knowledge.
In many areas, the knowledge gaps are associated with inadequate or inconsistent
measurement techniques. For example, our understanding of texture and its influence is
limited by what can currently be measured and the ability to measure characteristics, for
example, in three dimensions rather than two, would enable different or new parameters to be defined that would better predict or explain behaviour. The problem of measurement
limitations restricting understanding also applies to surface construction characteristics such
as interconnected voids (which may influence noise, water dispersal in the skid resistance
context and the durability of performance). Lack of well-defined measurement techniques is
also a serious limitation of understanding the rolling resistance of tyres, especially on real
road surfaces. Similarly, differences in ways of assessing passenger-car and truck tyres and
their performance are not always well understood.
Also, if measurements are available and parameters can be defined that could potentially
improve the optimisation of road surfaces and tyres together, effective ways to achieving this
in everyday practice need to be found.
In developing research ideas, a high-level strategic view has been taken that initially
considered the outcomes that are needed for the stakeholders (road administrations,
manufacturers and users), recognising that standards and specifications will be required to
facilitate delivery of these outcomes on the road network. It is to provide the information that
allows such standards to be set and monitored, to enable specifications to be practical and
achievable, that input in the form of research is required. The ability to provide simulation
tools that will predict behaviours of different tyres on road surfaces with different
characteristics is an important part of this process.
The report proposes a number of broad research ideas (rather than detailed project
definitions) directed at providing appropriate input in relation to the major knowledge gaps
that have been identified. For convenience, these have been divided into two three groups:
those related primarily to road surfacings, those related primarily to tyres and those related to
their interaction.
The report identifies thirteen main research areas and suggests a timetable and some
approximate costs for carrying out the work. The timeline recognises that the work needs to
be phased, moving progressively from the laboratory to pilot scale tests and ultimately to
validation at the network level. Some areas of work will depend on the outputs of others and
this influences their phasing. Overall, it is envisaged that a full programme of work would
take around 20 years to complete, with much of the time being required to allow adequate
time to pass to assess the influence of aging and wear on optimised surfaces and tyres in
normal everyday use.
The similarity algorithm calculates how much two contents in the system are similar to one another. So far, similarity is calculated based on similarity of the project type, area of interest and user type. Generally, if two contents have more parameters in common they are more similar to each another. More information.
content
description
similarity (%)
created: Marco Conter, 14.07.2010 16:25:10 last modified: Marco Conter, 14.07.2010 16:56:27
Copyright to all material on FEHRL Knowledge Centre are reserved. FEHRL Knowledge Centre's content (documents, reports, presentations, etc) can be cited, or excerpted in a sensible and proportionate manner, or e.g. included in non-commercial, on-line news digests, with proper reference (including a link) to FEHRL Knowledge Centre as the source, and to the author, by name, of any referenced post