Failure prediction of solid resilient tyres due to kerb impact: A finite element modelling approach

Solid resilient tyres frequently impact on kerbs or obstacles when they are operated in the construction and transportation sectors. These sudden impacts can generate high stresses and thereby damage the tyre. The factors which cause such failures are not easy to capture experimentally due to their complexity and high experimental cost. Hence, this study focused on using the finite element method to model the solid resilient tyre, generate stresses, and identify the failures and regions that are susceptible to damage. Initially, a tyre static model was developed and validated using laboratory experimental data obtained from the industry. The validation results showed that the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data. Subsequently, the model was extended to incorporate impact simulation. The simulation considered tyre motion and impact on three different types of kerbs - angular, circular and square-shaped. Simulation results show that high stresses occur mainly in the side walls of the solid tyre while high contact pressure and high in-plane shear stresses were observed at the tread layer especially when it moves on square-type kerbs. Hence, there is a high tendency for tyre failures to occur due to the side wall cracks at the base layer. Furthermore, sudden wear and damage due to chunking can be expected on the tread layer of the solid resilient tyre.