ABSTRACT
The performance of a tracked vehicle running on soft terrain depends on, among other factors, a dynamic response of soil that may be quanti‘ed by soil stress values. Soil stress state under tracks is a function of both soil strength and the ride dynamics parameters of a vehicle. A general advantage of tracked suspension is that vehicle weight is distributed over a greater surface when compared to wheeled vehicles, and the resulting contact pressure is theoretically equal (constant) along the track (Dąbrowski 1997). Analytical methods for soil pressure determination are based on the fundamental equation introduced by Boussinesq (1885). This equation describes the problem of die loading and expresses the relationship between external force F and pressure in soil p:
( )= pi −p F
a a r2 2 2 (5.1)
where a is the radius of the die and r represents decentration of loading force vector. This model has been modi‘ed several times throughout the years. Fröhlich (1934) introduced the stress concentration factor that depends on soil state. This theory was used to create the soil compaction model (SOCOMO) for wheeled agricultural vehicles cited in Chapter 1.
