This study places an emphasis on precise measurement of distribution of tire contact pressures. Komatsu Corporation has developed a new device using piezo electric ceramics sensors, which measures weight distribution within a contact area of a tire in motion. From the measured data at all the pixels, distribution of contact pressure and its average value can be obtained. The measurement was performed in summer in Tsukuba, Japan, varying tire type, traveling speed, air pressure, and wheel load.

Based on the measured data, effect of the difference between the modeled uniform and the actual distributed pressures on the pavement distress, especially fatigue cracking, is discussed, employing the multilayered elasticity theory and energy dissipation theory for prediction of the initiation of cracking.