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A new oval test track will be designed, constructed and operated in a manner that will successfully pull-together representatives from virtually all of the key interests in dealing with the challenging issues of highway pavement and truck durability. With construction scheduled to begin in the Summer of 1998 and completion scheduled for late 1998 or early 1999, the mission and commitment for this venture is to pull-together the people from several state DOTs, respective universities, and, of vital importance, the truck manufacturing industry. Results from these tests, over a period of a few years, will provide answers that not only greatly improve performance of hot mix asphalt pavements in all state DOTs, but also efficiently and productively address issues of durability and wear performance of medium / heavy duty trucks and key components.

Alternatives to pneumatic tire technology have been sought since the early 1900s, but none have exhibited the ride quality and durability of pneumatic systems. As bias ply tires have been rapidly replaced by steel belted radial technology, the performance target continues to improve. A new technology is under development which utilizes a unique combination of materials and geometry that does not require pressurized air to support the vehicle load. This non-pneumatic tire technology, developed using finite element analysis, failure mode effects analysis, and elaborate material characterization, is not included under the current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and thus new standards must be written. The development of the tire technology and background testing for new safety standards will be reviewed in this paper. Benefits of this technology for spare tires as well as its potential for continuous use ground tires will also be discussed.