This study places an emphasis on precise measurement of distributionof tire contact pressures. Komatsu Corporation has developed anew device using piezo electric ceramics sensors, which measuresweight distribution within a contact area of a tire in motion.From the measured data at all the pixels, distribution of contactpressure and its average value can be obtained. The measurementwas 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 betweenthe modeled uniform and the actual distributed pressures on thepavement distress, especially fatigue cracking, is discussed,employing the multilayered elasticity theory and energy dissipationtheory for prediction of the initiation of cracking.