Torsion System Load Distribution

Image 1

Two Pathway mats made from recycled rubber and with a torsion system are installed over a stack of styrofoam panels about 12 inches thick. The styrofoam panel’s represent soft or non compressed ground and will deform to weight. The steering axle of a truck will be driven on top of the mats. The amount of sink age that will occur as the weight that is carried by the truck tires is transferred to the mats will be monitored.

Image 2

The truck is driven onto the mats installed on soft underlying material.

Image 3

The weight carried by the front tires is about 11,000 lbs or about 114 lbs per square inch of tire with contact with the ground. The surface area of the two mats is 224 square feet or 32,256 square inches. The weight distributed by torsion system over the over the surface of the mat is 49 lbs per square foot or .34 lbs per square inch.

Image 4

The mat sunk about 3/8 of an inch when the truck traveled onto the mats. Once the mats were removed from the styrofoam, an impression of the bottom side of the mats was found to be embedded into the top layer of styrofoam. The imprint was consistent across the panel. This illustrates the torsion system’s ability to distribute weight to the four corners of the mat. The soil compaction test conducted at the same time illustrated that tire weight is typically vertical. This was not the case with the mats, thereby illustrating the effectiveness of the torsion system.