Modelling of washboard effect on unpaved roads experimental evidence on non-cohesive materials

Abstract

Washboard or corrugation is a common phenomenon in unpaved roads. The washboard effect can be very uncomfortable for the driver, but it can also be very dangerous due to the loss of contact between the wheels and the road. There are few pieces of research about this topic, but undulations seem to emerge due to the caŕs velocity and mass. This work aims to identify the main physical variables controlling the appearance of the washboard effect. For this purpose, an experimental set-up of a multi-pass system was developed. This apparatus consists of a rotating wheel rolling over a sandy path. This model allows evaluation of the evolution of the undulations resulting from the washboard phenomenon and allows relating it to variables such as the dynamic forces and track profile. Different scenarios were evaluated, including wheel velocity, wheel mass, and soil density.