The suspension system of a vehicle is conventionally designed such that the spring-damper element is configured in the vertical direction, and the longitudinal connection between the vehicle chassis and wheels is always very stiff compared to the vertical one. This mechanism can isolate vibrations and absorb shocks efficiently in the vertical direction but cannot attenuate the longitudinal impacts caused by road obstacles. In order to overcome such a limitation, a planar suspension system (PSS) is proposed. This novel vehicle suspension system has a longitudinal spring-damper strut between the vehicle chassis and wheel. The dynamic performance, including ride comfort, pitch dynamics, handling characteristics and total dynamic behaviour, of a mid-size passenger vehicle equipped with such planar suspension systems is thoroughly investigated and compared with those of a conventional vehicle. To facilitate this investigation, various number of vehicle models are developed considering the relative longitudinal motions of wheels with respect to the chassis. A 4-DOF quarter-car model is used to conduct a preliminary study of the ride quality, and a pitch plane half-car model is employed to investigate the pitch dynamics in both the frequency and time domain. A 5-DOF yaw plane single-track half-car model along with a pitch plane half-car model is proposed to carry out the handling performance study, and also an 18-DOF full-car model is used to perform total dynamics study. In addition to these mathematical models, virtual full-car models are constructed in Adams/car to validate the proposed mathematical models. For the sake of prediction of the tire-ground interaction force, a radial-spring tire model is modified by adding the tire damping to generate the road excitation forces due to road disturbances in the vertical and longitudinal directions. A dynamic 2D tire friction model based on the LuGre friction theory is modified to simulate the dynamic frictional interaction in the tire-ground contact pitch. The ride quality of a PSS vehicle is evaluated in accordance with the ISO 2631 and compared with that of a conventional vehicle. It is shown that the PSS system exhibits good potential to attenuate the impact and isolate the vibration due to road excitations in both the vertical and longitudinal directions, resulting in improved vehicles’ ride and comfort quality. The relatively soft longitudinal strut can absorb the longitudinal impact and, therefore, can protect the components. The investigation of handling performance including the steady-state handling characteristics, transient and frequency responses in various scenarios demonstrates that the PSS vehicle is directionally stable and generally has comparable handling behaviour to a similar conventional vehicle. The application of PSS in vehicles can enhance the understeer trend, i.e. the understeer becomes more understeer, neutral steer becomes slightly understeer, and oversteer becomes less oversteer. The total dynamic behaviour combining the bounce, pitch, roll and the longitudinal dynamics under various scenarios such as differential brake-in-turn and asymmetric obstacle traversing was thoroughly investigated. Simulation results illustrate that the PSS vehicle has a relatively small roll angle in a turning manoeuvre. In some cases such as passing road potholes, the PSS vehicle has a better directional stability.

This thesis focuses on the experimental studies conducted on the development of low-cost seismic base isolation pads using scrap automobile tires. Seismic base isolation is a well-defined building protection system against earthquakes, on which numerous studies have been conducted. The majority of the previous studies focus on the performance improvement of the base isolation systems. However, this study aims at cost and weight reduction of seismic base isolation pads by recycling otherwise useless material: scrap tires. Elastomer-based isolators have been heavily studied and used for the last 25 years. Steel or fiber reinforcement inside the elastomer isolators provides high vertical stiffness, whereas rubber segments between reinforcement layers provide low horizontal stiffness for the seismic base isolation. Since 1960&rsquo / s, automobile tires have been produced by means of vulcanizing rubber with steel mesh in different forms which have a similar effect as the steel plates or fibers inside the conventional elastomer-based isolators. Therefore, rectangular shaped layers cut from tread sections of used tires and then piled on top of each other can function as an elastomeric bearing. Since the tires are being designed for friction, load transfer between scrap tire layers would be large enough to keep all layers intact. A minimal slip generated between the piled layers at high strain rates may even help to dissipate some extra energy. Axial compression, dynamic free vibration, static shear and shaking table tests have been conducted on Scrap Tire Pads (STP) prepared by using different tire brands for different number of layers and orientations. The results have shown that the average shear modulus of STPs change between 0.9MPa and 1.85MPa. At the end of the dynamic tests it has been noticed that the lateral stiffness of STPs can be simply adjusted by changing the number of tread layers placed on top of each other. The amount of wire mesh inside the tire tread layers is relatively low compared to the steel plates in regular elastomeric pads / consequently, axial load capacity of STPs has been found to be around 8.0MPa. Static large deformation shear experiments have been performed to obtain the horizontal stiffness and shear modulus values at high strains and the results are tabulated in the manuscript. Steel and rubber layers are produced separately and just put on top of each other without any adhesive to form the &frac14 / scaled versions of STPs which were used to isolate a &frac14 / scaled masonry house on the shaking table available in METU Structural Laboratory. The experiment showed that non-vulcanized rubber-steel layers put on top of each other can also be used to isolate structures. In conclusion, STPs may be used as a low-cost alternative to conventional elastomer-based pads for seismic isolation of massive structures (e.g. stone wall rural masonry) or for temperature induced deformation compensation of rural bridges. STP usage is demonstrated using three hypothetical design examples in the manuscript.

A aderência pneu-pavimento é um dos parâmetros mais importantes da segurança viária e deve ser avaliada em duas escalas: microtextura e macrotextura. As medidas de textura da superfície de pavimentos podem ser obtidas por diversos equipamentos, sendo que os mais difundidos são o Pêndulo Britânico e a Mancha de Areia. Dessa forma, esta pesquisa pretende utilizar esses dois equipamentos para verificar o comportamento da textura em função do tempo/tráfego para diferentes tipos de revestimentos. Para tanto, foram realizados levantamentos dos valores de micro e macrotextura em pavimentos da rodovia BR-290/RS, trecho Osório-Porto Alegre, com uma freqüência aproximadamente mensal durante um período inferior a um ano. Com base nos dados coletados, foi possível desenvolver tendências de desempenho da micro e macrotextura para pavimentos flexíveis e rígidos dessa rodovia. Os modelos propostos para a estimativa da textura podem ser usados como ferramentas auxiliares no Sistema de Gerência de Pavimentos (SGP), prevendo o momento oportuno para intervenções na superfície dos pavimentos de modo a garantir a segurança dos usuários. Após a análise dos resultados, constatou-se que, no geral, os pontos de monitoração da rodovia BR- 290/RS apresentam boas condições de aderência pneu-pavimento quando avaliados pelo International Friction Index (IFI), que é um índice representativo da combinação entre a macro e microtextura do pavimento. Além dos modelos para estimativa da textura, desenvolveu-se nesta pesquisa um modelo de correlação entre os resultados dos ensaios de Mancha de Areia e de Drenabilidade, possibilitando, assim, a estimativa do IFI através do valor da vazão de água na superfície do pavimento. / Tire-road friction is one of the most important parameters regarding the safety of vehicles under slippery road conditions. Road surface texture is currently evaluated using several devices. In Brazil, the British Pendulum and the sand-patch method are most frequently used to measure microtexture and macrotexture, respectively. They were used in the research reported in this dissertation that aimed at verifying texture evolution with time/traffic on different types of pavement wearing courses. Thus, micro and macrotexture values were monthly measured in surveys carried out during one year in Brazilian Federal Road BR- 290/RS. Collected data allowed defining performance trends regarding micro and macrotexture of asphalt and Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavements. The models here proposed might be used as auxiliary tools in Pavement Management Systems (PMS) to estimate the time when a given rehabilitation action is necessary to assure vehicle and drivers safety. Results analysis showed that the surveyed pavements present adequate tire-road friction, when evaluated by the International Friction Index (IFI) which combines pavements macro and microtexture. In addition, a model relating results of the sand-patch method to drainability results is proposed. Such model allows the estimation of the IFI based on values of water inflow through the pavements wearing courses.

Orientador: Cesar Fabiano Fioriti / Resumo: A evolução do processo de industrialização vem desencadeando um consumo desenfreado dos recursos naturais. Diante do exposto, a indústria automobilística contribui em grande escala para a geração de resíduos de pneus, os quais ao serem descartados inadequadamente causam inconvenientes ambientais e de saúde pública. Paralelamente, a borracha proveniente do processo mecânico de recauchutagem de pneus vem sendo utilizada em pesquisas relacionadas ao estudo de variadas propriedades em compósitos cimentícios. Perante isso, este trabalho realizou uma avaliação experimental do comportamento à água de argamassas mistas de revestimento produzidas com a incorporação de duas diferentes granulometrias de borracha de pneus, estudadas segundo a vertente da substituição parcial da areia. O teor de incorporação de borracha de pneus nas argamassas foi de 5%, 10%, 15% e 20%, em volume. As diferentes granulometrias de borracha, provenientes da recauchutagem de pneus, foram doravante denominadas de grossa (passante na peneira #1,19 mm) e fina (passante na peneira #0,60 mm). O programa experimental contou com a execução de ensaios de densidade de massa aparente, retenção de água e índice de consistência nos compósitos no estado fresco; posteriormente, com os compósitos no estado endurecido, foram executados os ensaios de densidade de massa aparente, absorção de água por capilaridade, ensaio de secagem, absorção de água por imersão, permeabilidade ao vapor de água e permeabilidade à água sob press... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The evolution of the industrialization process has triggered an uncontrolled consumption of natural resources. According to this fact, the automobile industry contributes greatly in generation of waste tires, which, with improper disposal, may cause environmental and public health inconveniences. In parallel, the rubber from the mechanical process of tire retreading has been used in researches related to the study of various properties in cement composites. According to it, this work purposed to carry out an experimental evaluation of the behavior to the water of mixed covering mortars produced with the incorporation of two different grades of tire rubber, studied according to the scope of partial sand replacement. The content of tire rubber incorporation in the mortars was 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% by volume. The different grades of rubber from tire retreading were henceforth referred to as thick (passing through the # 1.19 mm sieve) and fine (passing through the # 0.60 mm sieve). The experimental program consisted in the execution of bulk density tests, tests of water retention and consistency index in the fresh state; subsequently, with the composites in the hardened state, bulk density tests, capillary water absorption tests, drying tests, tests of water absorption by immersion, water vapor permeability and water permeability under pressure. The results showed that the incorporation of rubber could contribute positively in most of the studied properties. Thus, among the gradin... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:25:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-08-22Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:26:19Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 fazzan_jv_me_ilha.pdf: 4125197 bytes, checksum: 67f962a9a375b2edc5ba8c9b6ac640a8 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / O uso do concreto na elaboração de estruturas de concreto armado está ligado à capacidade das mesmas em resistir aos esforços solicitantes, por meio da aderência que existe entre os materiais aço e concreto. Considerando-se que a maioria dos concretos à base de cimento apresenta uma pequena resistência à tração, se comparada à compressão, algumas alternativas para melhorar o seu comportamento em relação a esse aspecto vem sendo estudadas com sucesso, como, por exemplo, a adição de diversos tipos de fibras. Em outro contexto, a incorporação de resíduos no concreto surge como uma possibilidade para se atenuar impactos ambientais. Um exemplo desses resíduos é o de borracha de pneu, gerado em abundância durante o processo de recauchutagem. Observa-se, no entanto, que a inclusão desse resíduo pode provocar uma diminuição da resistência e do módulo de deformação longitudinal. Atualmente, em muitos casos, a utilização de lajes treliçadas têm sido mais vantajosa que o uso de lajes maciças, tanto do ponto de vista de execução, como do ponto de vista econômico. Para as situações de pequenos e médios vãos, e para cargas não muito elevadas, é possível que as lajes treliçadas não tenham o seu desempenho estrutural muito prejudicado em função da incorporação da borracha no concreto, uma vez que a limitação de sua capacidade resistente não seria dada pelo esmagamento do concreto mas sim pelo alongamento excessivo da armadura. Sendo assim, este trabalho tem como objetivo a utilização de resíduos de borracha em substituição parcial dos agregados do concreto que compõem a capa e as vigotas de lajes pré-fabricadas treliçadas unidirecionais. No total, foram ensaiados seis modelos, sendo três deles sem adição de borracha e os outros três com substituição de 10% do volume de areia por resíduo. Os modelos de lajes foram instrumentados... / The use of concrete in the manufacture of reinforced concrete structures is related to the ability of this material to resist the loads by the bond that exists between the reinforcement and the concrete. Considering that most of the cement-based concrete has a small tensile strength when compared to compression, some alternatives to improve their behavior in relation to this aspect has been studied successfully, as the addition of several types of fibers, for example. In another context, the incorporation of residues in the concrete emerges as a possibility of attenuating the environment impacts. An example is the tire rubber residue, generated in abundance during the retreading process; however, it is noted that the inclusion of this residue can cause a decrease in the compressive strength and in the module of elasticity. Currently, in many cases, the use of lattice slabs is more advantageous than the use of solid slabs, both in terms of execution, as the economic point of view. For small and medium spans, and for not high loads, it is possible that lattice slabs do not present a bad performance due to the incorporation of rubber into concrete since the limitation of its strength capacity would not be given by the concrete crushing but by the excessive reinforcement strain. Therefore, this work aims to use rubber tire residue as an aggregate in the concrete of the cover and in the concrete of the joist of the lattice precast unidirectional slabs. The residue partially replaced the fine aggregate. In total, six models were tested, being three of them without the rubber addition and the other three with replacement of 10% in the volume of sand per residue. The models were instrumented and tested for flexure at 28 days old, and the vertical displacements, the strains in concrete and in the reinforcement were recorded. The cracking... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:25:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2005-08-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:53:18Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 marques_ac_me_ilha.pdf: 1475841 bytes, checksum: 77b086156ebf0dd8b953cb21245e3435 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Araca Renovadora de Pneus / Camargo Correa Cimentos S.A / Holcim do Brasil S.A / Votorantim Cimentos / O presente trabalho tem como objetivo estudar algumas propriedades de concretos e argamassas, com substituição parcial do agregado miúdo por resíduos de borracha de pneus provenientes do processo de recauchutagem. Para todas as misturas foi utilizado o cimento CP V - ARI PLUS, areia e, para os concretos, brita basáltica. As substituições foram de 12% em volume do agregado miúdo por borracha para argamassa e 10% em volume para concreto. Em argamassa procurou-se verificar a influência do tratamento do resíduo de borracha com solução saturada de hidróxido de sódio. As propriedades estudadas foram: resistência à compressão, resistência à tração, absorção de água e índice de consistência. As propriedades analisadas em concreto à temperatura ambiente foram: resistência à compressão, absorção de água, resistência à tração, resistência à abrasão, módulo de elasticidade e resistência à flexão. Em concreto aquecido a 600ºC, avaliaram-se as propriedades de resistência à compressão e módulo de elasticidade. Os resultados obtidos em argamassas, após o tratamento do resíduo, mostram que este não influencia nas propriedades estudadas. Também é observado, após a substituição de parte do agregado pelo resíduo, queda na trabalhabilidade e nos resultados referentes à resistência mecânica. Os resultados de resistência à abrasão em concreto mostram-se interessantes para o uso da mistura em pavimentação. Após o aquecimento do concreto, observa-se redução na resistência à compressão e módulo de elasticidade para as misturas com e sem borracha. Também é observado que as relações de perda de resistência entre o concreto com e sem borracha são mantidas após o aquecimento. / The aim of this work is to study some properties of mortars and concretes, whose fine aggregate was partially replaced by tire rubber from retreading process. It was used in all mixes CPV - ARI PLUS cement, river sand, and basaltic coarse aggregate. The replacement was made in volume of fine aggregate by tire rubber and it was 12% in mortars and 10% in concrete. The influence of the residue's treatment with a sodium hydroxide saturated solution was analyzed through tests in mortar. The studied properties were: compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, water absorption, and consistence index. The properties analyzed in concrete at room temperature were: compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and flexural tensile strength. The tests made at 600ºC heated concrete were compressive strength and modulus of elasticity. The results from mortars tests, after the rubber's treatment, show that it doesn't influence considerably the studied properties. It is also observed that after the replacement of part of the aggregate by tire rubber; there is a decrease in workability and mechanical tests results. The abrasion resistance tests results show that an interesting use to tire rubber concrete is in precast-concrete paving brick. It can be noted from the heated concrete results that compressive strength and modulus of elasticity decrease in mixes with and without tire rubber. It could be also seen that the relationship between concrete strength losses are kept after heating.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2001-02-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:22:39Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 castroneto_p_dr_botfca.pdf: 1413886 bytes, checksum: ea446972915050c39ff614a5f1ea18c9 (MD5) / Um dos fatores mais críticos na determinação do número de dias trabalháveis com máquinas agrícolas se refere à determinação das condições do solo que forneçam informações para a decisão se o tráfego de máquinas em uma determinada gleba poderá ser realizado sem provocar alterações nas suas propriedades físicas e dinâmicas. Este trabalho teve como objetivos o desenvolvimento e avaliação de equipamentos e metodologia para a determinação de parâmetros físicos do solo relacionados a dias trabalháveis com máquinas agrícolas, com ênfase nas características do conjunto trator-implemento e na pressão máxima aplicável ao solo sem que este sofra compactação adicional. Foi construído um equipamento hidráulico-eletrônico para realização de determinações físicas de solo em campo, o qual se mostrou eficiente para a finalidade a que foi proposto. O modelo para a determinação da pressão de contato pneu-solo, foi desenvolvido com base nas características do rodado, obtidas pelo seu coeficiente de deformação e pela sua largura relativa, e nas características de recalque do solo, representadas pelos coeficientes kc(módulo de deformação devido à coesão do solo), k (módulo de deformação devido ao atrito interno do solo) e n( constante de deformação do solo). A pressão máxima exercida pelo rodado no solo, antes que houvesse uma compactação adicional, foi caracterizada pela pressão de preconsolidação. Para tanto, construiu-se uma prensa, de acionamento pneumático e aquisição eletrônica de dados, para a realização dos ensaios de compressão uniaxial. Realizou-se um ensaio de campo com delineamento em blocos casualizados com quatro tratamentos, representados pelo tráfego de um trator um, dois, quatro e seis dias após uma chuva, em quatro repetições... / Decision information about machinery traffic in a certain plot is one of the most critical factors to obtain the number of agricultural machine workdays. The soil conditions is the indicator if the machinery traffic will promote significantly physical and dynamic property changes. This work aimed to develop and evaluate equipments and methodology to obtain soil physical parameters related to agricultural machine workdays, with emphasis on tractor-implement set characteristics and maximum pressure on soil that do not increase this compaction situation. A hydraulic-electronic equipment was built for accomplishment of soil physical determinations, showing efficiency and versatility when used on field. The tire-soil contact pressure model was developed based on wheel and sinkage characteristics, the first one represented by their deformation coefficient and relative width, and the other by kc, k and n coefficients. The maximum wheel pressure on soil, before additional compaction, was characterized by its previous consolidation (preconsolidation) pressure. A pneumatic and electronic consolidometer was built, for uniaxial compression tests. A field research was done using a random block experimental design with four treatments, represented by the tractor traffic, number of days after a rain (1, 2, 4 and 6), with four repetitions. The obtained results, under this research conditions, evidenced that the developed methodology allowed to obtain soil physical parameters that can be used on forecast and soil trafficability monitoring and, finally, incorporated on agroclimatic models used to determine the number of agricultural machine workdays. It was observed increments of 25%, 19% and 15% on soil bulk density, respectively, for one, two, and four days after the rain traffic conditions and no statistical significant increment for six days after the rain... (Complete abstract, click electronic access below)

A aderência pneu-pavimento é um dos parâmetros mais importantes da segurança viária e deve ser avaliada em duas escalas: microtextura e macrotextura. As medidas de textura da superfície de pavimentos podem ser obtidas por diversos equipamentos, sendo que os mais difundidos são o Pêndulo Britânico e a Mancha de Areia. Dessa forma, esta pesquisa pretende utilizar esses dois equipamentos para verificar o comportamento da textura em função do tempo/tráfego para diferentes tipos de revestimentos. Para tanto, foram realizados levantamentos dos valores de micro e macrotextura em pavimentos da rodovia BR-290/RS, trecho Osório-Porto Alegre, com uma freqüência aproximadamente mensal durante um período inferior a um ano. Com base nos dados coletados, foi possível desenvolver tendências de desempenho da micro e macrotextura para pavimentos flexíveis e rígidos dessa rodovia. Os modelos propostos para a estimativa da textura podem ser usados como ferramentas auxiliares no Sistema de Gerência de Pavimentos (SGP), prevendo o momento oportuno para intervenções na superfície dos pavimentos de modo a garantir a segurança dos usuários. Após a análise dos resultados, constatou-se que, no geral, os pontos de monitoração da rodovia BR- 290/RS apresentam boas condições de aderência pneu-pavimento quando avaliados pelo International Friction Index (IFI), que é um índice representativo da combinação entre a macro e microtextura do pavimento. Além dos modelos para estimativa da textura, desenvolveu-se nesta pesquisa um modelo de correlação entre os resultados dos ensaios de Mancha de Areia e de Drenabilidade, possibilitando, assim, a estimativa do IFI através do valor da vazão de água na superfície do pavimento. / Tire-road friction is one of the most important parameters regarding the safety of vehicles under slippery road conditions. Road surface texture is currently evaluated using several devices. In Brazil, the British Pendulum and the sand-patch method are most frequently used to measure microtexture and macrotexture, respectively. They were used in the research reported in this dissertation that aimed at verifying texture evolution with time/traffic on different types of pavement wearing courses. Thus, micro and macrotexture values were monthly measured in surveys carried out during one year in Brazilian Federal Road BR- 290/RS. Collected data allowed defining performance trends regarding micro and macrotexture of asphalt and Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavements. The models here proposed might be used as auxiliary tools in Pavement Management Systems (PMS) to estimate the time when a given rehabilitation action is necessary to assure vehicle and drivers safety. Results analysis showed that the surveyed pavements present adequate tire-road friction, when evaluated by the International Friction Index (IFI) which combines pavements macro and microtexture. In addition, a model relating results of the sand-patch method to drainability results is proposed. Such model allows the estimation of the IFI based on values of water inflow through the pavements wearing courses.

abstract: The current study combines field study, survey study, and public financial reports, and conducts an in-depths comprehensive study of the cost of the global tire industry. By comparing the price and the total cost structure of standardized tire products, we investigate Chinese tire industry’s global competitiveness, especially in light of China’s fast increasing labor cost. By constructing a comprehensive cost index (CCI), this dissertation estimates the evolution and forecasts the trend of global tire industry’s cost structure. Based on our empirical analysis, we provide various recommendations for Chinese tire manufacturers, other manufacturing industries, and foreign trade policy makers. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2015

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004-01-30Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:32:00Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 mazetto_fr_me_botfca.pdf: 1022011 bytes, checksum: 265f29fb21da2dc260b7ff72711bd637 (MD5) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / O desempenho operacional dos tratores agrícolas é dependente da interação dos rodados e a superfície de contato, sendo de extrema importância a seleção do tipo de pneu, pressão de inflação e lastragem para as diversas operações agrícolas, proporcionando maior eficiência de tração e menor compactação do solo, racionalizando assim, os custos operacionais do sistema produtivo. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar e correlacionar as metodologias de determinação das áreas de contato e deformações elásticas de pneus agrícolas em superfícies rígida e deformável, em função das pressões de inflação e das cargas radiais, com a finalidade de identificar a metodologia mais acurada e prática para cada condição de ensaio estático de pneus. O experimento foi realizado no Núcleo de Ensaio de Máquinas e Pneus Agrícolas (NEMPA) da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas - UNESP, Câmpus de Botucatu, SP. Os pneus estudados foram do tipo R1 com as seguintes dimensões: pneu baixa pressão e alta flutuação (500/60-26.5) inflado com as pressões de 206,7 kPa, 103,3 kPa e 68,9 kPa; radial (14.9R26) com pressões de inflação de 186,1 kPa, 137,8 kPa e 68,9 kPa e diagonal (14.9-26) com pressões de 206,7 kPa, 137,8 kPa e 68,9 kPa; submetidos as cargas de 5 kN, 10 kN, 15 kN e 20 kN aplicadas por uma prensa hidráulica. As áreas de contato dos pneus agrícolas em superfície deformável foram obtidas em tanque de solo e em superfície rígida pelo método do pó, carbono e massa. Os valores das áreas de contato foram determinados por duas metodologias de cálculo: equação da elipse e digitalização das áreas. Os resultados permitiram concluir que a metodologia de cálculo das áreas de contato através da equação da elipse é confiável e prática para obter as áreas de contato dos pneus agrícolas... / The agricultural tractor performance is depended of interaction among the tire and contact surface, and then, the selection of tire type, its inflation pressure and tractor ballast are very important to several conditions of agricultural operation, proportioning higher efficiency of machines and lower soil compaction, rationalizing the operations costs of crop systems. This present research had for main objective the evaluation and correlation of methodologies of tire/ground contact areas and elastic deformations of agricultural tires on rigid and deformable surfaces, in function of inflation pressures and ballasts, identifying the methodology most accuracy and practice for each condition of tire static test. The research was carried out at Agricultural Machinery and Tire Testing Center (NEMPA), Rural Engineering Department of Agronomic Science College, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu/SP, Brazil. The studied tires were of R1 type with the following dimensions: low pressure and high fluctuation tire (500/60-26.5) inflated with pressures of 206,7 kPa, 103,3 kPa and 68,9 kPa; radial ply (14.9R26) with inflation pressures of 186,1 kPa, 137,8 kPa and 68,9 kPa and bias ply (14.9-26) with pressures of 206,7 kPa, 137,8 kPa and 68,9 kPa. Four ballast conditions were applied on the wheels by hydraulic press: 5 kN, 10 kN, 15 kN and 20 kN. The contact areas of the agricultural tires on deformable surface were obtained in soil bin and on rigid surface by powder, carbon paper and modelling mass methods. The contact area values were determined by two calculus methodologies: ellipse equation and areas digitalization. The results of methodologies used to calculate the contact areas permit to conclude that ellipse equation can estimate with precision and practice the contact areas of agricultural tires...