Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Facts on CTI and Road Savings
Road and track costs are a major part of any timber harvesting process. Any means of reducing this cost has to benefit the entire industry. Central Tyre Inflation has been around for 60 plus years, providing added vehicle mobility, while improving handling and safety. Many government and industry tests have also proven substantial savings in road design, building and maintenance. For instance, the added traction means steeper grades can be used. The reduction in road damage mean less track preparation and less rock and gravel need to be carted. Less wheel spin and softer tyres mean less grading and maintenance. This adds up to substantial road and track savings:
*Reduced Road maintenance by up to 80% NATC 1987
*Prolongs road life and actually repairs damaged forest roads, Forest Service Research Laboratory
*Surfacing savings on graveled forest roads may be in the order of 25%. This prediction is considered conservative by many experts.” Waterways Experimental Station, US Army Corps of Engineers
*Healed existing ruts, NATC
*Hauling could be done under wet conditions that would normally be prohibitive. USDA Forest Services
*Road ruts up to 40 cm deep left by high pressure tyres were healed USDA
*The use of low tyre pressures saved Forest Services US $300,000 in ballasting costs.
*And saved the hauling contractor US $200,000 in lowered hauling costs, and the avoidance of hauling shutdowns.
*Rut depth with low pressure was 77% less Feric Alberta
*May extend the use of thawing block-entry roads by up to 9 times, Feric Alberta
*Moderate tyre pressures generated up to 5 times slower rutting rates FERIC
*Even very damaged weak roads were healed enough to be passable FERIC
*62% reduction in road costs USDA
*Pavement strain increases significantly with the tyre inflation pressure USDA
*The use of CTI equipped trucks will minimize associated repair and maintenance costs National Council for Forest Research,& University College of Dublin
*Higher pressure tyres caused more loss of gravel NATC
*Washboards (corrugations) eliminated by low pressure tyres NATC
*3 to 4 inch ruts compared to 16 inch ruts AFDA Boise National Forest tests
*No washboarding (corrugations) Olympic Forest Tests
*Lower Pressures required no road maintenance in 3 weeks, compared to normal maintenance of every 2 to 3 days. Olympic Forest Tests.
*100 psi section failed and became impassable Forest Services Lab, Alabama
*Lower pressures showed very little wear FSL Alabama
*The lower pressure trucks were used to heal the damage caused by 100 psi truck, FSL Alabama
*Actual costs incurred building roads suitable for CTI equipped trucks were 62% lower Carr Creek Results
*Lower pressures decreased road and yard maintenance by 40 to 50%. Saskatchewan Peat Hauling Test
*The D4 used for extracting bogged trucks was sold. Saskatchewan Peat Test
*Downtime reduced at plant, because of more reliable transport. Sas. Peat Test
*320 passes with low pressure, no washboarding. Then after only 5 passes with high pressure, washboarding began to appear, with scuffs on the tyres, and a rough ride. San Dimas Tests USA
*Greater aggregate loss with high pressures. Nevada Automotive Tests
*Each time road grading intervals are extended, positive contributions are made. Finemores
*Since fitting CTI, our current lost time injury is double our previous record. Finemores
*In the first year, forest road maintenance costs were reduced by $2.5 million. Alberta Pacific Canada
*The ratio of low pressure traffic to high pressure traffic to initial road failure is 1.5 to 21. US army corp of engineers
*Considerable maintenance was required on high pressure side from washboarding. US Army Corp of Engineers
*Conservative estimate was a 25% reduction in required aggregate thickness when using low pressure tyres. US Army Corp of Engineers.
*133 mm depth of rut with high pressure, 8 mm depth with CTI USDA Forest Service
*Traffic on CTI section generated 46% less fines, 1076 kg compared to 1980 kg. USDA Forest Services.
*Oregon test; three year average soil loss was 177 kg with CTI compared to 893 kg for highway pressure.
*Lower tyre pressures one way to lower risk of road failure. University of Nottingham conclusions 2001
AIR CTI customers regularly complain to me about the damage others, without CTI, do to the tracks. They tear them up, creating pot holes and ruts. If every one had to have CTI, it would save money on road building and maintenance, and it would save money for transport operators because trip times would be less (smoother roads mean better trip times, and better ride). And the environment wins because of less silt runoff, less dust, less pot holes, better safety, and healthier drivers and less waste.
*Reduced Road maintenance by up to 80% NATC 1987
*Prolongs road life and actually repairs damaged forest roads, Forest Service Research Laboratory
*Surfacing savings on graveled forest roads may be in the order of 25%. This prediction is considered conservative by many experts.” Waterways Experimental Station, US Army Corps of Engineers
*Healed existing ruts, NATC
*Hauling could be done under wet conditions that would normally be prohibitive. USDA Forest Services
*Road ruts up to 40 cm deep left by high pressure tyres were healed USDA
*The use of low tyre pressures saved Forest Services US $300,000 in ballasting costs.
*And saved the hauling contractor US $200,000 in lowered hauling costs, and the avoidance of hauling shutdowns.
*Rut depth with low pressure was 77% less Feric Alberta
*May extend the use of thawing block-entry roads by up to 9 times, Feric Alberta
*Moderate tyre pressures generated up to 5 times slower rutting rates FERIC
*Even very damaged weak roads were healed enough to be passable FERIC
*62% reduction in road costs USDA
*Pavement strain increases significantly with the tyre inflation pressure USDA
*The use of CTI equipped trucks will minimize associated repair and maintenance costs National Council for Forest Research,& University College of Dublin
*Higher pressure tyres caused more loss of gravel NATC
*Washboards (corrugations) eliminated by low pressure tyres NATC
*3 to 4 inch ruts compared to 16 inch ruts AFDA Boise National Forest tests
*No washboarding (corrugations) Olympic Forest Tests
*Lower Pressures required no road maintenance in 3 weeks, compared to normal maintenance of every 2 to 3 days. Olympic Forest Tests.
*100 psi section failed and became impassable Forest Services Lab, Alabama
*Lower pressures showed very little wear FSL Alabama
*The lower pressure trucks were used to heal the damage caused by 100 psi truck, FSL Alabama
*Actual costs incurred building roads suitable for CTI equipped trucks were 62% lower Carr Creek Results
*Lower pressures decreased road and yard maintenance by 40 to 50%. Saskatchewan Peat Hauling Test
*The D4 used for extracting bogged trucks was sold. Saskatchewan Peat Test
*Downtime reduced at plant, because of more reliable transport. Sas. Peat Test
*320 passes with low pressure, no washboarding. Then after only 5 passes with high pressure, washboarding began to appear, with scuffs on the tyres, and a rough ride. San Dimas Tests USA
*Greater aggregate loss with high pressures. Nevada Automotive Tests
*Each time road grading intervals are extended, positive contributions are made. Finemores
*Since fitting CTI, our current lost time injury is double our previous record. Finemores
*In the first year, forest road maintenance costs were reduced by $2.5 million. Alberta Pacific Canada
*The ratio of low pressure traffic to high pressure traffic to initial road failure is 1.5 to 21. US army corp of engineers
*Considerable maintenance was required on high pressure side from washboarding. US Army Corp of Engineers
*Conservative estimate was a 25% reduction in required aggregate thickness when using low pressure tyres. US Army Corp of Engineers.
*133 mm depth of rut with high pressure, 8 mm depth with CTI USDA Forest Service
*Traffic on CTI section generated 46% less fines, 1076 kg compared to 1980 kg. USDA Forest Services.
*Oregon test; three year average soil loss was 177 kg with CTI compared to 893 kg for highway pressure.
*Lower tyre pressures one way to lower risk of road failure. University of Nottingham conclusions 2001
AIR CTI customers regularly complain to me about the damage others, without CTI, do to the tracks. They tear them up, creating pot holes and ruts. If every one had to have CTI, it would save money on road building and maintenance, and it would save money for transport operators because trip times would be less (smoother roads mean better trip times, and better ride). And the environment wins because of less silt runoff, less dust, less pot holes, better safety, and healthier drivers and less waste.
(FERIC is Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada, USDA is United States Department of Agriculture, Finemores is an Australian transport company that has of 13,000,000 kilometers of experience over 12 years or more.)
